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The death toll in the Pipalkoti tunnel accident rose to eight on Saturday after rescue teams recovered one more body from the site. Operations are currently underway to locate and evacuate two other individuals who remain trapped inside the under-construction THDC tunnel.
Providing an update on the intensive rescue efforts, Chamoli Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Vivek Prakash on Saturday stated that the teams are battling difficult weather conditions and high water levels to reach the missing personnel. "We have been putting in efforts... There was a lot of water there. We have managed to reduce the water level. Today, one body has been recovered and sent to the hospital by ambulance. We are still searching for the other two [people]; our teams are at it, and we expect to recover them soon," ADM Prakash told ANI. The ADM highlighted the collaborative nature of the operation, involving multiple specialised agencies. "Currently, we are taking continuous help from NDRF, SDRF, the Army, and various paramilitary forces. However, the weather is posing a major challenge and creating a hurdle. The water level inside keeps increasing," he noted. Detailing the timeline of the response, Prakash informed that the local administration and police were the first responders on the scene. "We have been engaged here since the evening before last. The entire administration team and police team were the first responders to arrive. After that, we called everyone--SDRF, DDRF, and NDRF arrived. The SDRF team, in particular, has done a lot of work," he added. The ADM further explained that technical assistance was sought to manage the flooding inside the tunnel. "The staff and workers from the HCC company and THDC helped in the recovery. We tried to get them out last night as well; we were there all night, but because there was so much water, we couldn't manage it. Later, we brought in pumps from NTPC and THDC to drain the water. Because of those pumps, the water level has decreased significantly. We found one body today, and there are two more that we will recover soon," he stated. Earlier today, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami asserted that the safety of personnel on construction projects must be the "top priority at any cost" and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident. Speaking on the incident, Chief Minister Dhami said, "At the THDC tunnel under construction in Chamoli, a sudden surge of debris and water trapped 22 workers who were on duty at the time... Search operations are ongoing for the three individuals yet to be rescued. All agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF, and the Uttarakhand government's district administration, are keeping a constant watch on the situation." He further emphasised that a thorough investigation has been initiated to prevent such occurrences in the future and to establish the exact cause of the surge. "I have ordered a magisterial inquiry to uncover the facts clearly and determine what precautions need to be taken in the future. The safety of the personnel working on any construction project must be our top priority, at any cost. I issued instructions to this effect yesterday," the CM added. The incident occurred after a landslide-like event near the Birhi River sent a heavy surge of water and debris into the tunnel, trapping workers who were on duty, the NDRF team commander, Amrit Lal Meena said. Rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF teams are underway. It involves coordinated efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The flooding inside the tunnel has added to the challenges faced by the rescue teams, with water and accumulated sludge restricting movement and making it difficult to conduct a comprehensive search. (ANI)
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