Pipalkoti tunnel rescue: Search for three missing persons continues as 900-metre stretch remains flooded
Pipalkoti, August 14
Rescue operations to trace three people missing following an accident inside a THDC tunnel in the Pipalkoti area of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district remained challenging on Friday, with a large portion of the tunnel inundated with water and sludge.
Rescue personnel are facing difficult conditions inside the tunnel, with low visibility and uncertainty over the situation beneath the water. The SDRF teams had earlier used a makeshift boat to enter the flooded tunnel and carry out the search operation.
Alok Jayara, Assistant Commandant, NDRF, said that the search for the three missing people was continuing and teams were working in shifts to cover the affected area.
"The situation that prevailed around 5:30 AM this morning remains the same even now. We are searching for three missing people. Our teams are making continuous efforts. We have three teams on the spot that are carrying out rotational operations," Jayara said.
He said that personnel from multiple agencies were coordinating the rescue operation.
"NDRF, SDRF, DDRF, ITBP, all are coordinating and taking action," he said.
According to Jayara, the scale of the flooded section has made the search particularly difficult.
"This is a very large area, approximately 900 metres, which is filled with water, and there is also sludge beneath the water. Due to this, conducting a search operation in that 900-metre area is proving difficult," he said.
He added that visibility inside the flooded section was extremely low, making it difficult for rescuers to assess conditions underwater.
"The area is quite large, and visibility there is also very low. We are unable to ascertain the situation underwater, so we are conducting a manual search," Jayara said.
The rescue operation involves coordinated efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
The flooding inside the tunnel has added to the challenges faced by the rescue teams, with water and accumulated sludge restricting movement and making it difficult to conduct a comprehensive search.
Rescuers are continuing operations on a rotational basis while assessing the conditions inside the tunnel. The teams are focusing on searching the flooded stretch manually as they work to locate the three missing persons.
Authorities are maintaining coordination among the agencies involved in the operation as efforts continue at the accident site.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's heartbreaking to see these continuous tunnel accidents in Uttarakhand. Last year's Silkyara incident was scary too. The authorities need to step up on safety inspections for these infrastructure projects. Our workers deserve better protection.
Sending strength to the rescue teams and families waiting for news. It must be so stressful for them. Hope those three people are safe somewhere and the teams can find them quickly. 🙏
900 metres of flooded tunnel with sludge underneath - imagine how challenging that is for the rescuers. They're literally doing this with manual searches. True heroes who go above and beyond. Respect to every single person on that team. 🇮🇳
It's concerning that these incidents keep happening in the same region. While I appreciate the swift rescue response, I wish we'd focus more on prevention. Every single life matters - the workers, rescuers, everyone. Hope we learn from these recurring issues.
The coordination between NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and others shows how prepared we are as a nation now. Still, waiting for good news. It's a race against time. Stay strong everyone!
Reading about this from abroad - my heart goes out
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