DEHRADUN: At least 65 workers were injured late on Tuesday night after two loco trains collided inside a tunnel at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) hydroelectric project site in Pipalkoti area of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, officials said.
The accident occurred around 8.30 pm inside the 4.5-km-long tunnel when one loco train, used to transport workers and construction material, rammed into another that was stationary on the same track during a shift change. About 108 workers were travelling on the two trains at the time of the incident. Two coaches derailed following the collision, triggering panic inside the tunnel.
"The sound was deafening, and the immediate confusion inside the tunnel was terrifying," recounted a source close to the rescue operations, speaking on condition of anonymity. "When you are miles inside a mountain, any accident feels catastrophic."
District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar rushed to the district hospital in Gopeshwar to oversee medical arrangements. Officials said all the injured workers were in stable condition.
“The immediate focus was on medical care and ensuring there were no casualties,” Kumar said, adding that a high-level inquiry had been ordered to ascertain how both trains came onto the same track inside the tunnel.
The 444-MW hydroelectric project, located on the Alaknanda river, is scheduled for completion next year. Loco trains are a key mode of internal transport during tunnelling operations, carrying workers and construction material deep inside the mountain.
The incident has raised concerns over safety protocols at the project site, particularly during shift changes. Authorities said corrective measures would be implemented once the inquiry identifies lapses, and responsibility would be fixed accordingly. Further investigations are underway.