Communication partner, Gopeshwar (Chamoli). A major accident occurred on Tuesday night at the site of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydro power project under construction by Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) on the Alaknanda river in Chamoli district. In the under-construction tunnel, two trolleys used for transportation of employees and workers collided with each other and overturned. These trolleys are operated on iron tracks inside the tunnel.
100 people were injured in the accident. There were 110 engineers, employees and laborers in the trolley. They were returning after finishing work. 42 injured have been admitted to District Hospital Gopeshwar and 17 to Vivekananda Hospital Pipalkoti. Others have been discharged after first aid. The condition of two injured remains critical. Most of the injured are residents of Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand. The primary cause of the accident is believed to be brake failure of the trolley carrying the goods.
The accident happened on Tuesday night at around 9.30 pm. HCC Company is building a 13.5 km tunnel from Haat village of Pipalkoti to Helang for THDC's 448 MW Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydro power project. A seven km tunnel has been built from Haat village.
Tunnel construction work has been going on for 10 years. About two thousand personnel are working day and night in this. On Tuesday night, when the shift of the employees and laborers was changing and they were going by trolley. Meanwhile, another trolley carrying goods in the tunnel collided with it when the brakes failed.
After this both the trolleys overturned and more than 100 engineers, employees and laborers were injured. It is being told that all the injured were brought out by other employees. Also informed the company officials as well as emergency ambulance 108. With the help of 108, the injured were taken to Vivekananda Hospital Pipalkoti and District Hospital Gopeshwar.
District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar and SP Surjeet Singh Panwar reached the district hospital in the night itself and inquired about the condition of the injured. Vinod Singh, project manager of the project construction company HCC, said that running of two trolleys on one track is careless. It is being verified.
42 injured are being treated at the District Hospital and 17 injured at Vivekananda Hospital Pipalkoti. Among the injured, five people suffered serious injuries. The condition of all the injured is fine. - Gaurav Kumar, District Magistrate Chamoli
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