Death Toll Reaches 10 as Search Operation Concludes in Chamoli Tunnel Accident

The death toll from a tunnel accident in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district has risen to 10 following the recovery of two more bodies on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The recovery of the final two missing workers, identified as Lukas Topno from Jharkhand and Chetan Poyam from Chhattisgarh, marks the conclusion of the search and rescue operation. The incident occurred on the evening of August 13 at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation's Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydroelectric project tunnel. Out of 22 people trapped in the three kilometer tunnel, 12 were rescued with injuries.

Preliminary assessments indicate the tunnel was inundated after a rain saturated aquifer ruptured through the roof approximately 1.44 kilometers from the entrance. This caused a surge of water, debris, and muck to flood the passage. Rescued workers reported feeling a powerful gust of air followed by boulders and water. The rescue operation involved a coordinated effort between the State Disaster Response Force, National Disaster Response Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police, the Army, and local police. Teams utilized suction pumps and heavy machinery to clear slush and debris from the tunnel to reach the victims.

In a separate development, officials from the National Thermal Power Corporation reported that a small cavity formed by land subsidence in the Tapovan Vishnugad hydroelectric project tunnel began leaking water on August 15. As a precaution, all workers were evacuated and excavation has been halted until technical experts fill the pit.