Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], August 15 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday 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 at an under-construction tunnel in Chamoli’s Pipalkoti, where a sudden surge of debris and water trapped 22 workers.
While several workers have been accounted for, search and rescue operations are currently underway to locate three individuals who remain missing inside the THDC (Tehri Hydro Development Corporation) tunnel.
Speaking to ANI 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.
Earlier on August 14, NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi updated that 12 people have been rescued, seven bodies have been recovered, while three persons remain missing in the Chamoli tunnel collapse incident.
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.
The rescue operation 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.
Rescuers are continuing operations on a rotational basis while assessing the conditions inside the tunnel. The teams are focusing on searching the flooded stretch manually as they work to locate the three missing persons.
Authorities are maintaining coordination among the agencies involved in the operation as efforts continue at the accident site. (ANI)