CM Dhami : oversees improved medical facilities for Chamoli tunnel accident victims
CM Dhami: Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, assessed the situation in Chamoli on Wednesday after a locomotive train carrying officials and workers collided with another train transporting materials inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, injuring about 60 people.
The Chief Minister said that he is in constant communication with the authorities and has given them instructions to provide the wounded better medical care.
“With reference to the accident that happened at the TBM site of the under-construction THDC Vishnu Gad – Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project in Pipalkoti, Chamoli district, I am in continuous communication with the District Magistrate of Chamoli,” CM Dhami said in a post on X. All wounded people have been instructed to get better medical care and to be sent to higher medical centers if necessary.”I want God to grant all wounded personnel a quick recovery,” he said.
The incident happened after a shift change late on Tuesday at the THDC hydropower project construction site in Pipalkoti.
Initial reports state that a huge number of people were hurt when two locomotive trains that were used to transport workers and supplies within the tunnel collided.
According to Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar, around 60 of the 109 passengers on the train transporting workers were injured in the late-night collision.
According to him, everyone engaged in the tragedy has been rescued, and everyone who was hurt is in stable condition.
The District Magistrate clarified that when the accident happened, two locomotive trains—one carrying construction materials and the other carrying workers and officials—were traveling on the single-track within the Pipalkoti tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti project, which is being built by THDC (India).
He went on to say that these locomotive trains are often utilized to move authorities, engineers, laborers, and building supplies down lengthy tunnels.
According to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Chamoli, 17 wounded individuals are receiving treatment at Vivekananda Hospital in Pipalkoti, while 10 have been transferred to the district hospital in Gopeshwar.
According to reports, the other wounded individuals’ conditions are stable, he stated.
As workers tried to escape the cramped tunnel, the force of the collision caused fear and screaming within the tunnel, creating a chaotic scene.
Teams from the local government and project management raced to the scene as soon as the event was notified, starting relief and rescue efforts right away.
In Chamoli district, the 444 megawatt Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project is being built on the Alaknanda River between Helang and Pipalkoti.
The project is expected to be finished by the following year and is intended to produce 111 megawatts of power using four turbines.