Chamoli tunnel: 16 rescued, 3 feared trapped

In a tragic incident at the Chamoli tunnel, 12 workers have been successfully rescued, while seven bodies have been recovered and three individuals remain missing, according to NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi. Rescue operations, involving teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), State Police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the District Administration, are underway to evacuate the remaining three individuals trapped inside a tunnel measuring 2.5 km in length.

The rescue efforts are being hampered by continuous rainfall, rising water levels, low oxygen levels, and the risk of further landslides.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the accident and announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased workers. Dhami stated that 19 out of the 22 people involved in the incident have been rescued, and medical treatment is being provided to the injured. Rescue operations are being carried out with safety precautions, and the teams are focusing on manually searching the flooded sections to locate the remaining three missing persons.