Rescue for three people missing in a THDC tunnel in Pipalkoti faces major challenges. A 900-metre stretch is flooded with water and sludge, creating extremely low visibility. Multi-agency teams are conducting a manual search in difficult conditions.
Rescue operations to trace three people missing following an accident inside a THDC tunnel in the Pipalkoti area of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district remained challenging on Friday, with a large portion of the tunnel inundated with water and sludge.
Rescue personnel are facing difficult conditions inside the tunnel, with low visibility and uncertainty over the situation beneath the water. The SDRF teams had earlier used a makeshift boat to enter the flooded tunnel and carry out the search operation.
Multi-Agency Rescue Efforts Underway
Alok Jayara, Assistant Commandant, NDRF, said that the search for the three missing people was continuing and teams were working in shifts to cover the affected area. "The situation that prevailed around 5:30 AM this morning remains the same even now. We are searching for three missing people. Our teams are making continuous efforts. We have three teams on the spot that are carrying out rotational operations," Jayara said.
He said that personnel from multiple agencies were coordinating the rescue operation. "NDRF, SDRF, DDRF, ITBP, all are coordinating and taking action," he said.
Difficult Conditions Hamper Search
According to Jayara, the scale of the flooded section has made the search particularly difficult. "This is a very large area, approximately 900 metres, which is filled with water, and there is also sludge beneath the water. Due to this, conducting a search operation in that 900-metre area is proving difficult," he said.
He added that visibility inside the flooded section was extremely low, making it difficult for rescuers to assess conditions underwater. "The area is quite large, and visibility there is also very low. We are unable to ascertain the situation underwater, so we are conducting a manual search," Jayara said.
The rescue operation involves coordinated efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
The flooding inside the tunnel has added to the challenges faced by the rescue teams, with water and accumulated sludge restricting movement and making it difficult to conduct a comprehensive search. Rescuers are continuing operations on a rotational basis while assessing the conditions inside the tunnel. The teams are focusing on searching the flooded stretch manually as they work to locate the three missing persons. Authorities are maintaining coordination among the agencies involved in the operation as efforts continue at the accident site. (ANI)
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