At least seven workers have died and 13 others sustained injuries after a landslide triggered flooding and debris flow inside a tunnel under construction in northern India.
The incident occurred late Thursday at a construction site operated by the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation in Uttarakhand, where workers were building a tunnel for a hdropower project.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority, 19 workers were rescued from the site, while three others remain missing.
Officials said the accident happened after water and debris rushed into the tunnel following a landslide.
Rescue operations continued on Friday, with emergency personnel using head-mounted lights and makeshift rafts to reach workers trapped in the flooded section of the tunnel.
A statement from the State Disaster Management Authority said, “At least three workers are still missing,” while confirming that 19 people had been rescued.
Uttarakhand has experienced heavy monsoon rainfall in recent days, increasing the risk of landslides and flooding across the mountainous region.
The latest accident has also renewed concerns about the environmental impact of large-scale infrastructure projects in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region.
Environmental experts have warned that poorly planned development, combined with the effects of climate change, could be worsening the frequency and severity of floods and landslides.
The incident comes weeks after 20 workers were killed while working inside a tunnel linked to another government-owned hydroelectric project in Sikkim.
In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after spending 17 days trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand.
Hundreds of people have reportedly died in floods and landslides across India since the annual monsoon season began in June.
