Deeply saddened by tragic loss of lives at tunnel collapse in Chamoli: Rajnath Singh prays for safe rescue of trapped workers

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday expressed grief over the loss of lives in the tunnel collapse at a hydroelectric project site in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district and prayed for the safe rescue of those still trapped.

The accident occurred after debris and water entered an under-construction tunnel of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC)'s Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project in the Pipalkoti area in Chamoli on Thursday, trapping 22 workers inside. According to the administration, seven people have died in the incident, while 19 of the 22 workers trapped inside the tunnel have been rescued. The injured workers are undergoing treatment at the District Hospital in Gopeshwar. The rescue operations to trace three missing people remained challenging on Friday as a large portion of the tunnel was inundated with water and sludge.

Read more: Chamoli devastation: 7 dead, 13 injured as water, debris enter hydro project tunnel



"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives due to Tunnel collapse at a hydroelectric project site in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured and for the safe rescue of those who are still trapped," Rajnath Singh said in a post shared on X.

The rescue operation is being carried out jointly by multiple agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF, DDRF and ITBP, with teams conducting manual searches inside the flooded section of the tunnel.

Read more: Chamoli tunnel incident: 16 rescued, 3 feared trapped after water, debris enter under-construction site

NDRF Assistant Commandant Alok Jayara said the search operation was continuing and teams were working in shifts.

"The situation that prevailed around 5:30 AM this morning remains the same even now. We are searching for three missing people. Our teams are making continuous efforts. We have three teams on the spot that are carrying out rotational operations," Jayara said.

Jayara said the flooded section, spread across around 900 metres, was making the search difficult due to water, sludge and poor visibility.

"This is a very large area, approximately 900 metres, which is filled with water, and there is also sludge beneath the water. Due to this, conducting a search operation in that 900-metre area is proving difficult," he said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident and announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the workers who died.

"Every life is precious to us," Dhami said, adding that action would be taken against those found responsible for any negligence.

Badrinath MLA Lakhpat Butola has also raised questions over safety arrangements at the construction site and sought higher compensation for the victims' families.