Seven workers killed in Uttarakhand tunnel accident at THDC hydropower project

At least seven workers were killed and 13 injured after a landslide sent water and debris gushing into an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Thursday night. The tunnel is part of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation's Pipalkoti hydropower project, a state-run facility in the Himalayan region of north India.

What happened in the Chamoli tunnel accident in Uttarakhand?

A landslide triggered by heavy monsoon rains forced water and debris into the tunnel while workers were inside, trapping 22 people. Of those, 19 have been rescued, seven were killed, and three remain missing, according to the State Disaster Management Authority. Rescue teams from the NDRF and SDRF are continuing operations at the site.

Videos shared by local authorities showed rescue workers using head-mounted torches and makeshift rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel. Uttarakhand has experienced heavy monsoon rains in recent days, and rescue operations are continuing as teams work to locate the three missing workers. The chief minister of Uttarakhand confirmed the rescue figures in a statement cited by ABC News.

How does this compare to other tunnel accidents in India?

Last month, 20 workers were killed in a tunnel at another state-run hydroelectric project in the remote northeastern state of Sikkim. In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, in an incident that drew international attention to the risks of tunnel construction in the Himalayas. Accidents on large construction sites are common in India, but ecologists warn that excessive development in fragile Himalayan terrain is making disasters more frequent.

Hundreds of people have been killed in floods and landslides across India since the start of the annual monsoon season in June. Experts say climate change, combined with poorly planned infrastructure development, is increasing the frequency, severity, and impact of such disasters. The Chamoli tunnel incident adds to growing concerns about construction safety and environmental risk in the Himalayan states.