2 weeks ago
Chamoli Tunnel Flood Kills Seven Workers; Search Continues for Three
Workers were building a big tunnel in the mountains of Uttarakhand, a state in India, to help make electricity from water.
The tunnel is called the Tail Race Tunnel and is part of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project.
One Thursday evening, a lot of water, mud and rocks suddenly rushed into the tunnel and trapped 22 workers inside.
Sadly, some of the workers died, and many others were hurt and taken to hospitals.
Different official reports gave slightly different numbers of how many workers died, were hurt, or were still missing.
Many rescue teams came to help, including the army and special disaster helpers, and they worked through the night.
The water inside the tunnel was so deep that it reached the rescuers' chests, so they used machines, pumps and even small boats made from drums to search for workers.
The leader of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, flew to the site in a helicopter to make sure everything possible was done to save the workers.
Heavy rain in the area, along with landslides, caused the sudden rush of water and mud into the tunnel.
The search continued for the workers who were still missing.
Water and debris flooded an under-construction tunnel at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) project in Mayapur near Pipalkoti, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, on Thursday evening, trapping 22 workers.
Reports differ on casualties: initial accounts cited six dead, 14 injured and two missing, while later accounts cited seven dead, 11 to 14 injured and three missing.
The flood occurred in the Tail Race Tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, built by the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), after a sudden influx of water and debris amid landslides and subsidence.
Multi-agency teams including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), CISF, police and fire services rescued 19 workers overnight and recovered submerged bodies, using pumps, heavy machinery and improvised drum boats.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flew to Pipalkoti by helicopter and directed a 'war footing' rescue as officials pumped out water and searched for the missing workers.
- Who
- 22 construction workers trapped inside the tunnel; rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), CISF, police and fire services; and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
- What
- A sudden surge of water and debris flooded the under-construction Tail Race Tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, killing seven (six per initial reports), injuring 11 to 14 and leaving three (two per initial reports) missing, and triggering a large overnight rescue operation.
- Where
- Mayapur near Pipalkoti, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India.
- When
- Thursday evening, August 13, 2026, at approximately 6:20 pm to 7:05 pm; casualty updates were published on August 14, 2026.
- Why
- A large volume of water and debris suddenly entered the tunnel after a cavity formed from a sudden influx of water; officials also cited landslides and subsidence that filled nearly half the tunnel, following heavy rainfall in Chamoli over preceding days.
Key facts
- Workers trapped
- 22 (one account said around 30)
- Deaths
- 6 per initial reports; 7 per later reports
- Injured
- 11-14 (reports vary)
- Missing
- 2 per initial reports; 3 per later reports (one account said 6)
- Location
- Mayapur near Pipalkoti, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India
- Project
- THDC Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project (Tail Race Tunnel)
- Construction company
- Hindustan Construction Company (HCC)
- Cause
- Sudden water influx, cavity formation, landslides and subsidence after heavy rainfall
Quotes
Garhwal Range Inspector General Rajeev Swaroop
Senior police official overseeing the rescue operations
“"Water has accumulated in the area where the debris settled, and we are rapidly pumping it out using machinery. Continuous rainfall is posing some challenges to the operation… We have designated a specific operational area where we are meticulously checking every square metre,"”
theprint.in
“"We waded through the water, and a few team members were equipped with specialised gear to carry out underwater operations. The four bodies were submerged and not visible from the surface so we went inside and recovered all four from the incident site."”
news18.com
Gaurav Kumar
Chamoli District Magistrate
“"By 11 p.m., 21 workers were evacuated from the tunnel."”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
Uttarakhand: 7 dead in tunnel tragedy in Chamoli; search on for 3 missing
Uttarakhand: Seven workers dead, search underway for three missing after water fills Chamoli tunnel
Uttarakhand: 7 Workers Dead In Chamoli Tunnel Disaster, Search Continues For 6 Missing
Chamoli tunnel accident: 6 workers killed, 14 injured after sudden debris and water surge; 2 still trapped
Seven Workers Killed As Water, Debris Flood Uttarakhand Hydro Project Tunnel
Uttarakhand: Six workers killed after water, debris enters tunnel being constructed in Chamoli
6 dead, 14 injured as water, debris enter tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli
Seven dead, three missing after water and debris flood under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli
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