CM Dhami Reaches Pipalkoti Amid Severe Weather, Inspects THDC Tunnel Rescue Operation
Chamoli, August 14, 2026: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Pipalkoti on Friday amid extremely adverse weather conditions and conducted an on-site inspection of the ongoing rescue and relief operations following the THDC tunnel accident at Mayapur.
The helicopter carrying the Chief Minister also faced challenging conditions while landing due to the deteriorating weather. After reaching the site, CM Dhami reviewed the progress of the rescue operation and interacted with officials and personnel from the district administration, police, SDRF, NDRF, ITBP and other agencies involved in the operation.
The Chief Minister also entered the tunnel to assess the ongoing rescue and relief work and received first-hand information from the teams engaged in the operation.
The accident occurred at the under-construction TRT tunnel of THDC’s Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project at Mayapur. The approximately 3-km-long tunnel was affected by a landslide, resulting in the accumulation of debris and water over a stretch of around 1.50 km.
Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar briefed the Chief Minister about the incident and the rescue operations carried out so far. According to the district administration, 19 of the 22 people trapped inside the tunnel have been rescued, while efforts are continuing to locate and rescue the remaining three people.
The incident has so far resulted in the tragic deaths of seven people.
CM Dhami directed all agencies to make every possible effort to rescue the remaining workers safely. He instructed officials to deploy all available resources, technical expertise and equipment effectively and maintain close coordination among the NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, police and other rescue teams.
The injured workers rescued from the tunnel have been shifted to the District Hospital in Gopeshwar, where medical teams are providing treatment and continuously monitoring their condition.
The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that there is no shortage of medical care and other necessary arrangements.
CM Dhami emphasized that rescuing every trapped worker remains the top priority of the state government. He also directed officials to provide all possible assistance to the families of the affected workers and maintain continuous coordination with them.
The Chief Minister further stressed that the rescue operation must be conducted with utmost seriousness, caution and coordination while giving priority to the safety of the rescue personnel.
Cabinet Minister and Chamoli district in-charge minister Bharat Chaudhary, Tharali MLA Bhupal Ram Tamta, Zila Panchayat Chairperson Daulat Singh Bisht, Minister of State Harak Singh, former Cabinet Minister Rajendra Bhandari, Nagar Panchayat Chairperson Aarti Navani, Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman, Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop, IG Garhwal Rajeev Swaroop, District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar, Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajkumar Pandey and other public representatives, officials and personnel were present during the inspection.
