Around 60 injured as work trains collide inside hydel project tunnel in Uttarakhand

Around 60 people were injured after two locomotive trains operating inside a tunnel at the Vishnugad–Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project collided in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, officials said on Wednesday.

The accident occurred late on Tuesday evening during a shift change at the construction site near Pipalkoti. The trains, used to ferry workers, engineers and construction material within the tunnel, reportedly rammed into each other while moving along a single track.

Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said 109 people were travelling on the train carrying workers and officials at the time of the incident. Nearly 60 sustained injuries, though all have been rescued and none are in a critical condition.

Officials said one locomotive was transporting workers and project staff, while the other was hauling construction material when the collision took place inside the tunnel of the THDC (India)-executed project.

Such trains are routinely deployed in long underground stretches to support construction activity, the district administration noted.

Medical teams were immediately mobilised following the accident. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Chamoli said 10 injured workers were shifted to the district hospital in Gopeshwar, while 17 others were admitted to Vivekananda Hospital in Pipalkoti. The remaining injured were treated at the site or nearby facilities, with their condition reported to be stable.

The collision led to moments of panic inside the tunnel, with workers shouting and attempting to move to safety in the confined space. Rescue and relief operations were swiftly carried out by project authorities with support from the local administration.

The Vishnugad–Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project, being developed on the Alaknanda river between Helang and Pipalkoti, is a 444-megawatt venture. The project is expected to be completed next year and will generate power through four turbines.

With IANS inputs