At least seven workers lost their lives in a major disaster at an under-construction state-owned hydroelectric tunnel in India’s Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. The incident occurred late Thursday night when a landslide triggered a swift influx of water and mud into the shaft. Authorities confirmed that at least 13 other workers sustained injuries during the mishap.
According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP) released on Friday (August 14), emergency crews managed to rescue 19 individuals from the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation project site. However, a statement issued by the State Disaster Management Authority indicated that at least three workers remain missing inside the flooded structure.
Uttarakhand has been battered by relentless monsoon downpours over recent days. Video footage released by local authorities showed rescue personnel wearing headlamps and maneuvering makeshift rafts through flooded tunnel sections to reach trapped personnel. Nationwide, floods and landslides triggered by the annual monsoon since June have claimed hundreds of lives across India.
Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that unplanned and aggressive infrastructure expansion in the ecologically sensitive Himalayan belt is escalating the frequency and severity of such disasters. Workplace safety lapses in major construction endeavors also remain a critical concern.
The incident marks the latest in a series of tunnel hazards in the region: last month, 20 workers died in a similar hydro project tunnel accident in Sikkim, while in 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days in another collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel. Analysts emphasize that climate change dynamics are compounding the intensity of extreme weather events in fragile terrain.
