By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Gopeshwar (Chamoli), 14 Aug: Relief and rescue operations continued throughout the night at the under-construction THDC tunnel at Mayapur in the Peepalkoti area of Chamoli district after debris and water entered the tunnel following subsidence last evening that trapped a number of workers inside. Seven persons have so far been reported dead, 12 injured persons have been rescued, while three others remain missing.
According to the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), Dehradun, the incident occurred last evening in the TRT tunnel of THDC’s Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project. The tunnel is around three km long and debris and water entered a stretch at around 1.50 km following subsidence, trapping people working inside.
A total of 22 persons were reported to have been trapped in the tunnel. Of these, 12 injured persons have been safely rescued and taken for medical treatment, while seven persons have died and three are still missing. The six rescuers who had entered the tunnel to assist in the relief and rescue operation are also safe. However, there was confusion initially over the number of workers trapped inside the tunnel. Initial claims made by the THDC management and the government were that 18 workers had been trapped inside but then figure was revised to 28 and then to 22.
The injured persons rescued from the tunnel have been shifted to hospitals. Eleven of them are undergoing treatment at the District Hospital, Gopeshwar, while one injured person, Rohit Pandey (20), is being treated at Base Hospital, Srinagar. The 12 injured persons have been identified as Sunil Diwan (20), Chhattisgarh; Harbil Gudiya (27), Tapra; Nistar Bhingra (24), Jharkhand; Vinod Ravana (46), Jharkhand; Dina Begra (26), Jharkhand; Khela Ram Bisra (22), Jharkhand; Subeg Singh (45), Punjab; Tilakraj, Himachal Pradesh; Chandan Kumar (39), Rohtas, Bihar; Pen Singh (33), Chhattisgarh; Rohit Pandey (20), Bihar; and Govindo Mandal, West Bengal.
Among those dead, two are from Uttarakhand including Pradeep Panwar from Tehri and Mukesh Singh from Chamoli. Those reported dead in the accident are Pradeep Panwar (31), Tehri Garhwal; Mukesh Singh, Chamoli; Durlabh Sharma, Uttar Pradesh; Vijay Hansda, Uttar Pradesh; Jitendra Kumar, Uttar Pradesh; Lokeshwar, Chhattisgarh; and Bhuneshwar, Chhattisgarh.
The three persons still missing have been identified as Lucas Topno, Jharkhand; Chetan Poyam, Chhattisgarh; and Devnath, Chhattisgarh. Search and rescue operations to locate them are continuing.
The rescue operation is being carried out by the SDRF, NDRF, ITBP, police and other technical and specialised teams. Six SDRF teams have been deployed at the site under the direction of SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi. Rescue experts are carrying out the search operation with utmost caution and coordination in view of the debris, water, restricted space and other challenges inside the tunnel. Yesterday, Cabinet Minister Bharat Singh Chaudhary reached the site of the disaster yesterday night itself while Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the site this morning despite an inclement weather.
District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar has remained at the site and has continued to monitor the rescue operation, taking regular updates from officials and rescue teams. He directed the teams to make effective use of all the available resources and technical assistance to ensure the safe evacuation of the remaining persons trapped in the tunnel. The district administration is also making arrangements for the treatment of the injured and extending necessary assistance to those affected by the incident.
The administration has claimed that the rescue and search operation is being accorded the highest priority and that all necessary measures are being taken to safely locate and evacuate the three missing persons. It also stated that the figures concerning those affected could change as the search and rescue operation progresses and further information becomes available.
