Pipalkoti: Following the incident of debris and water entering an under-construction THDC tunnel at Mayapur, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the site on Friday. The Chief Minister conducted an on-site inspection of the relief and rescue operations and went inside the tunnel to assess the progress of the rescue mission. He also obtained information from rescue teams and officials regarding the progress of the operation.
The accident occurred in an approximately 1.5-kilometre section of the nearly three-kilometre-long TRT tunnel of THDC’s Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project after debris and water entered the tunnel due to ground subsidence. The Chief Minister directed officials to give the rescue operation the highest priority and make effective use of all available resources and technical expertise.
The Chief Minister directed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), police and all other rescue teams to maintain close coordination. He instructed them to make every possible effort to safely evacuate the remaining three people trapped inside the tunnel.
District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar briefed the Chief Minister on the rescue operation so far and the relief and rescue efforts underway at the site. He informed him that 19 of the 22 people trapped inside the tunnel have been rescued, while the search for the remaining three people is still underway. Seven deaths have been reported so far in the accident.
The rescued injured persons have been brought to the District Hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment. Teams from the Health Department and medical personnel are providing treatment and continuously monitoring the health of the injured.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that there is no lapse in the treatment of the injured or in providing assistance to the affected families alongside the rescue operation. He instructed officials to maintain continuous coordination with the rescue teams and conduct the operation with utmost seriousness and caution.
Cabinet Minister and District In-charge Minister Bharat Chaudhary, Tharali MLA Bhupal Ram Tamta, District Panchayat Chairperson Daulat Singh Bisht, Minister of State Harak Singh, former Cabinet Minister Rajendra Bhandari, along with public representatives, officials and personnel engaged in the rescue operations, were present on the occasion.
