Uttarakhand Tunnel Crash: 60 Workers Injured as Two Loco Trains Collide at Hydro Project

Uttarakhand: Two loco trains collided with each other on Tuesday night in the Vishnugarh-Pipalkoti hydroelectric project being built in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The accident happened in a tunnel where work is going on and these small trains are run to transport workers and equipment inside. The collision was so strong that two coaches derailed, and about 60 workers were injured.

How did the accident happen?

It was time for shift change. One train was going in with laborers and staff, while the other was returning with construction material. Both came face-to-face on the same track, and there was a collision. The incident occurred between 8:30 and 9:30 pm. At the time of the accident, 109 people were traveling in both the trains.

How many people are injured, and where are they admitted?

According to District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar:

• 42 injured were admitted to Gopeshwar District Hospital.
• 17 injured are undergoing treatment at Vivekananda Hospital in Pipalkoti.
• The rest were discharged after first aid

The administration says that everyone has been taken out of the tunnel and the condition of most of them is stable.

Was there no delay in relief and rescue?

Rescue was started immediately after the accident. Many times teams had to walk through the tunnel to reach the workers trapped inside because the space was narrow. Ambulances were not deployed in advance, but several vehicles were sent to the spot as soon as the call was received. It took time to bring out the injured, but the rescue has been claimed to be complete except for one person.

Why were trains running inside the tunnel?

This project being built on the Alaknanda River is of 444 MW. Given the length of the tunnel and the size of the machinery, loco trains are run inside for movement. Now the question is arising whether the signaling system was present or not, and if it was, then why it did not work.

In which direction will the investigation go?

The administration has issued investigation orders. The focus will be on three main questions:

• Were safety standards ignored?
• Was it human error?
• Or is it a case of a technical glitch?

A report has been sought from the agency running the project.

Why is this accident important?

The project is expected to be completed next year and is considered important for the power system in the mountains. In such a situation, this accident inside the tunnel raises the question of whether we are moving forward in safety and management as fast as the pace of the project seems.