Chamoli tunnel accident: Another worker's body found, death toll reaches nine

The body of a worker trapped when water flooded into a tunnel five days ago was found on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), taking to nine the death toll from the accident at the hydropower project.

Another worker remains missing, office-holders said. When a landslide led to debris and water flooding in on August 13.

Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer N.K, twenty-two people were caught in the three-kilometre tunnel, part of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation’s Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydroelectric project. According to Joshi, the body was identified during the ongoing search operation conducted by various agencies following the accident on the evening of August 13. While one worker still remains missing, he added that the body has been sent to the district hospital in Gopeshwar, administrative headquarters of the Chamoli district, and efforts were on for its identification.

The death toll from the accident—caused by a landslide that filled the tunnel with debris and water—has now reached nine. Twelve other workers were injured in the accident.

Officials stated that a rescue and relief operation is being conducted on a war footing to locate the missing worker. A joint team comprising the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local police, and other agencies has been continuously conducting search and rescue operations since the accident occurred.

Officials stated that the search operation is going on despite the presence of significant sludge inside the tunnel, and all teams are coordinating to carry out the mission amid adverse conditions. The task has been complicated by the sludge that is still blocking the way, they added.

They went on that the accumulated debris and sludge are being removed, and water is being pumped out rapidly using available resources—including suction pumps and other equipment—to facilitate the search for the missing worker.

Chamoli District Information Officer Dheeraj Karki told PTI that three of the five JCB machines trapped inside the three-kilometre-long tunnel during the accident have been retrieved so far. It has accelerated the search for the missing workers. He said that the remaining two machines, at present trapped in the debris, would also be extracted shortly.