‘Water and wind came like a storm’: Rescued workers recount terrifying THDC tunnel accident

CHAMOLI (Uttarakhand): Workers rescued from the THDC tunnel in Chamoli’s Pipalkoti described the terrifying moments after water and strong winds suddenly entered the tunnel, throwing several workers outside and leaving them struggling to escape.

Seven people were declared dead after being rescued from an under-construction tunnel of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC) at Pipalkoti in Chamoli district, where several workers were trapped after water and debris entered the tunnel, officials said on Friday.

The workers who were rescued from the tunnel were brought to the District Hospital in Gopeshwar for treatment. A total of 19 people were brought to the hospital, of whom seven were declared dead.

One of the rescued workers, Vabil Gude from Jharkhand, described the incident as terrifying and said it happened suddenly after water entered the area.

#WATCH | Chamoli, Uttarakhand | An injured worker from Jharkhand says, “The tunnel area was very dangerous. It was the way the wind rushed in from one side and then the other, everything just collapsed…” pic.twitter.com/MJs6OfbKNp

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2026

“The scene was very terrifying, like… as if a wave of terror came from that direction. It happened so suddenly… anyway, because of the water, we moved forward here,” Gude said.

Another worker, Nister Bhengra, said water and wind came at high speed, throwing the workers outside. He said that after the water slowed down, they gradually made their way out and encountered an engineer along the way.

“Water and wind came very fast. After that, we were all thrown outside. Then the water slowed down a bit. Then we gradually got out. No one came. Then on the way, there was an engineer. He came. There were 15-20 people,” Bhengra said.

#WATCH | Chamoli, Uttarakhand | An injured worker says, “The water rushed in suddenly. We were thrown out. Then the flow of the water slowed down. Then we were able to escape slowly. It was 15-20 of us inside.” pic.twitter.com/SnIKppNZzS

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2026

Prem Singh, another worker, said water entered with the force of a storm, leaving them unable to do anything. “In the hand, in the leg. Water came with such high speed like a storm and we couldn’t do anything about it,” Singh said.

Vinod Raman said around 20-22 people may have been inside at the time of the incident. “The scene was very terrifying. All of a sudden, wind and then water came, filling everything inside the tunnel. After that, we didn’t know anything. About 14-15 people. There could be a total of 20-22. My leg is fractured. Yes, the family knows,” he said.

“A total of 19 people were brought here from THDC; seven of them have been declared dead at the hospital, while 13 arrived in relatively stable condition. We have admitted 10 of them. One young man, whose condition was somewhat unstable, has been referred to the Base Hospital in Srinagar,” Dr Aayush told reporters.

Rescue operations by NDRF and SDRF teams are underway to evacuate the remaining workers trapped inside the tunnel. Officials initially said 18 workers were rescued and shifted to the district hospital for treatment. NDRF team commander Amrit Lal Meena said a large volume of water had entered the tunnel when the rescue team reached the site, with water also seeping in from the sides. (ANI)