UTTARAKHAND: Seven workers were killed and 13 others injured after water and debris entered an under-construction tunnel following a landslide in India’s Uttarakhand state.
The incident occurred on Thursday night while workers were building a tunnel for a government hydropower project in the Himalayan state.
Uttarakhand Landslide Traps Workers Rescued
Reacting to the Uttarakhand tunnel accident, rescue teams safely evacuated 19 workers from the tunnel. However, three workers remain missing, said the State Disaster Management Authority in a statment.
Videos released by authorities showed rescue workers wearing headlamps and using temporary rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel.
Uttarakhand has experienced heavy monsoon rains in recent days. The rainfall has increased the risk of landslides and other accidents across the mountainous state.
Accidents are common at major construction projects in India. Environmental experts, however, say excessive development in the Himalayan region is increasing the risk of natural disasters.
Last month, 20 workers were killed while working inside a tunnel at a government hydropower project in India’s northeastern state of Sikkim.
Earlier this month, at least 14 people were killed and several others injured after lightning strikes hit India’s eastern state of Jharkhand during heavy monsoon rains on August 5.
The local authorities and Indian media reported the deadliest incidents occurred in Giridih district, where 10 people lost their lives after lightning struck multiple locations amid thunderstorms.
According to an IMD report released in January, more than 200 people were killed in lightning and thunderstorm-related incidents across Jharkhand in 2025, highlighting the state’s vulnerability to extreme weather.
Elsewhere in India, monsoon rains continued to cause widespread destruction. Nearly 90 people have died in floods and rain-related incidents in the northeastern state of Assam, while at least 15 people have been killed in the southern state of Kerala. Thousands have also been displaced by heavy rains.
