Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Tunnel Accident: Two Loco Trains Collide, 86 Workers Injured
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A serious accident occurred inside the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydropower Project tunnel in Chamoli district when two loco trains collided during routine operations. The incident took place inside the 13-kilometre-long tunnel while transportation of workers was underway, resulting in injuries to dozens of labourers.
State Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman confirmed that the tunnel work for THDC in Pipalkoti was in progress at the time of the incident. He stated that two locomotives are routinely used to transport workers inside the tunnel and a collision occurred between these two trains. According to him, a total of 86 people were injured in the accident. Of these, 68 injured workers were admitted to the district hospital in Chamoli, while 18 were taken to the hospital in Pipalkoti. Four workers sustained minor fractures, while the remaining injured were discharged after treatment. He clarified that all the injured are out of danger.
The collision reportedly occurred around 9:30 pm while excavation work was ongoing with tunnel boring machines. More than 100 officers, employees, and workers were present inside the tunnel at the time. Following the accident, construction work inside the tunnel was immediately stopped to ensure safety and facilitate rescue operations.
Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar ordered a magisterial inquiry to investigate the circumstances leading to the collision and to fix accountability. Vinod Kumar Suman further stated that the disaster management department is issuing notices to the concerned authorities and instructions are being given to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
After receiving information about the accident, District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar reached the district hospital in Gopeshwar to review the condition of the injured workers. They instructed the medical staff to ensure proper treatment and monitoring of all patients.
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The Vishnugad-Pipalkoti project, a 444 MW hydropower project being developed on the Alaknanda river, has a history of major incidents. In February 2021, a glacier burst triggered massive flooding in the Rishiganga river, causing extensive damage to nearby hydropower projects and leading to the deaths of over 100 workers. The latest accident has once again raised concerns over safety standards, risk assessment, and worker protection measures in high-risk hydropower construction zones in Chamoli.
