Gopeshwar | August 18, 2026 | INFRAINTEL Bureau
Rescue agencies continued round-the-clock operations on Tuesday to trace two workers trapped inside a three-kilometre tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. Five days after the accident, the presence of heavy sludge, debris and accumulated water has complicated the operation and reduced hopes of finding the missing workers alive.
The accident occurred on August 13 when debris and water entered THDC India’s Mayapur–Pipalkoti tunnel following a landslide. Eight workers were killed, while 12 injured workers were rescued and admitted to hospital. Two workers remain unaccounted for.
The missing workers have been identified as Lucas Topno of Jharkhand and Chetan Poyam of Chhattisgarh.
A joint team comprising personnel from the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, local police and other agencies is conducting the search operation.
Water is being continuously pumped out of the tunnel, while rescue teams are using the available machinery and equipment to remove sludge and inspect accessible sections. Agencies are reportedly coordinating their activities under difficult and potentially hazardous conditions.
Five JCB machines were trapped inside the tunnel during the incident. Three of them have been recovered, helping rescue personnel accelerate the removal of debris and continue their search. Efforts are underway to extract the remaining two machines.
The incident has once again highlighted the operational and safety challenges associated with major infrastructure projects in ecologically and geologically sensitive Himalayan areas. Landslides, sudden water ingress, unstable slopes and limited access can significantly restrict rescue operations following tunnel accidents.
A detailed investigation will be required to determine the circumstances that allowed debris and water to enter the tunnel and whether adequate monitoring, evacuation and emergency-response systems were in place before the incident.