Gopeshwar, Aug 16: Search operations to locate two workers who went missing after a tunnel accident in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district continued on Sunday, the fourth day since the incident, while a magisterial inquiry was ordered to ascertain its causes and circumstances, officials said.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), police and other agencies have been conducting an intensive search for the workers since the accident on August 13, they said.
The under-construction THDC India Limited tunnel at Pipalkoti was inundated with debris and water following a landslide on Thursday evening. Eight people were killed in the accident, while two workers remain missing. Twelve other workers who were injured were rescued from the tunnel and hospitalised.
The missing workers have been identified as Lucas Topno from Jharkhand and Chetan Poyam from Chhattisgarh, officials said.
The tunnel remains flooded and water is being continuously pumped out to lower the water level and enable rescue teams to access the affected areas, they said. Work is also underway to remove machinery and other heavy obstructions trapped inside the tunnel.
Modern equipment and technical resources are being used to clear debris and obstructions, while rescue teams are checking every possible area, including small gaps within the debris, officials said.
Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered to investigate the causes and circumstances of the accident.
Necessary action will be taken in accordance with the rules based on the findings of the inquiry, he said.
State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Minister Madan Kaushik reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations in Gopeshwar on Sunday.
The meeting began with a tribute to the workers who lost their lives in the accident and a two-minute silence.
Kaushik also met workers affected by the accident, heard their grievances and assured them that their issues would be addressed. He directed officials to provide all possible assistance to those affected. (PTI)
