Magisterial probe ordered in Chamoli hydropower tunnel train collision which left 88 injured

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured and spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.

Gopeshwar/Dehradun: Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar on Wednesday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the collision between two loco trains inside the Pipalkoti tunnel of the under-construction Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydropower project, which left 88 people injured.

Earlier in the day, Kumar said that the accident occurred around 8.30 pm on Tuesday at the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) site inside the tunnel being built by THDC (India).

A loco train carrying workers for tunnel excavation during the night shift was about 2 km inside the tunnel when another loco train coming from the opposite direction lost control and collided with it.

One of the trains had workers and officials on board, while the other carried material.

Upon receiving information about the collision, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami ordered proper treatment for the injured. He spoke to the DM over the phone and instructed him to ensure that all the injured receive the best possible medical facilities.

DM Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjit Singh Panwar met the injured at the Gopeshwar District Hospital.

Kumar said 109 people were on board the loco train at the time of the accident, most of them labourers. None of the injured was serious, he said.

He said that 88 of them were injured, although none of them are in serious condition. They said that 84 workers were discharged after receiving first aid, while four are still hospitalised.

DM Kumar and SP Panwar also inspected the project site and sought detailed information about the incident from the project officials.

They instructed them to strictly implement all necessary safety standards to prevent a recurrence of such an incident in the future.

After inspection, the DM issued orders for a magisterial inquiry into the accident caused by the collision of the loco trains.

Meanwhile, the Railways said the trains involved in the collision had no connection with it.

"It is clarified that this unfortunate incident occurred in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, involving a trolley used in the local transportation system during the construction of a hydroelectric project tunnel. The train referred to in the news reports is not an Indian Railways train, but a transportation system being used locally by the project team," the government entity said in a statement.

According to officials, rail-like vehicles are used to transport workers, employees, and materials for construction work inside the tunnel.

The project, being built between Helang and Pipalkoti on the Alaknanda River, will generate 444 megawatts of electricity through four turbines. The project is targeted for completion by next year.