Two More Bodies Recovered From Tunnel, Death Toll Rises To 10

Five days after a landslide trapped 22 workers inside an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, the bodies of two missing workers were found on Tuesday, taking the death toll from the incident to 10.

State Disaster Response Force Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi reportedly said that the nearly 200 personnel involved in the search and rescue operation at the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, operated by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited, concluded the operation on Tuesday after six days.

Two More Bodies Recovered From Tunnel

Officials said that when the incident occurred on August 13, the workers were concreting the tunnel liner, an underground structure designed to support and reinforce the tunnel. Initially, the bodies of seven workers were recovered, while 12 others were rescued. Some of the rescued workers sustained injuries.

An eighth body was recovered on August 15. The two bodies found on Tuesday were identified as those of Lukas Topno from Jharkhand and Chetan Poyam from Chhattisgarh. The workers were employed by Hindustan Construction Company.

Rescue Teams Battled Water, Debris And Machinery

According to an official, the rescue operation was challenging due to water and debris inside the tunnel, along with cement, heavy machinery and metal equipment buried in the mud. Machinery blocking the tunnel was removed, while additional pumping systems were installed to drain the water.

The Central Industrial Security Force, the Army, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the National Disaster Response Force and the police were involved in the rescue operation.