5-6 people trapped after hydro tunnel collapses in Uttarakhand's Chamoli, 13 rescued

A tunnel under construction at the THDC project in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district collapsed, trapping several workers after debris and water entered the site. At least 10 workers were rescued, while NDRF and SDRF teams continued efforts to evacuate those still trapped.The exact number of people trapped inside is yet to be officially confirmed. (Credits: Kamal Nayan Silodi)Debris and water entered an under-construction tunnel at the THDC project in Mayapur (Pipalkoti) in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district on Thursday evening, trapping several workers inside.Rescue teams have so far evacuated 13 people safely, while efforts are underway to rescue the remaining workers.According to officials, the incident occurred at around 7.05 pm at the tunnel being constructed by HCC. Preliminary information suggests that 18 to 19 workers were inside the tunnel when debris and water entered it.A search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the incident. Thirteen workers have been rescued safely, while teams continue efforts to locate and evacuate those still trapped.Given the seriousness of the situation, teams of the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been rushed to the site. Rescue operations are currently being carried out by personnel from the District Incident Response Force (DIRF), local police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).UTTARAKHAND CM OVERSEES RESCUE ACTFollowing the incident, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed concern and directed authorities to carry out rescue operations on a war footing.In a statement, the Chief Minister said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had been rushed to the site in view of the seriousness of the incident.He also instructed the district administration and all concerned departments to work in coordination to ensure a swift rescue operation.Dhami said he was personally monitoring the situation and remained in constant touch with senior officials, receiving regular updates on the rescue efforts."The government's top priority is to ensure the safe evacuation of every person trapped inside the tunnel. All necessary resources have been deployed for the rescue operation," the Chief Minister said. (Credits: X/Pushkar Singh Dhami) He also directed officials to ensure there was no delay or lapse in the ongoing rescue work and asked the administration to extend all possible assistance to the affected workers and their families.Rescue operations were continuing at the time of filing this report, with emergency response teams working to clear debris and safely evacuate the remaining workers trapped inside the tunnel.Authorities are yet to ascertain the cause of the collapse.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 20:10 IST