'Only 3 of 22 People Working at Site Remain to Be Rescued': Uttarakhand CM Dhami on Chamoli Tunnel Rescue

Chamoli: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that except for three workers, those working at the Chamoli tunnel site have been rescued after they were trapped inside the tunnel following an accident, while injured workers are receiving medical treatment and multiple agencies are continuing rescue operations amid water and rubble at the site.

Dhami said, "Only three of the 22 people who were working here remain to be rescued. The injured workers are being given medical treatment."

Describing the ongoing rescue efforts, the Chief Minister said, "All agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, State Disaster Management and local Administration, are working here. State Minister Bharat Singh Chaudhary has been here at the site since yesterday."

Highlighting the challenges being faced at the site, Dhami said, "There is a lot of water and rubble here."

He added, "I had spoken to the CMs of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand as the workers belong to those states. Our first priority is safe rescue."

Dhami had visited Pipalkoti in Chamoli amid extremely adverse weather conditions to take stock of the ongoing relief and rescue operation for workers trapped inside a tunnel following an accident.

Soon after reaching the area, Dhami began an on-site inspection of the rescue operation being carried out to safely evacuate the workers trapped inside the tunnel. The Chief Minister is reviewing the arrangements at the site and taking updates from officials and personnel involved in the operation.

Following the accident, multiple agencies have been mobilised to carry out relief and rescue operations at the tunnel site. Teams from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and the local administration have been working at the site as part of the coordinated effort to reach and evacuate the trapped workers.

During his visit, Dhami is expected to take a detailed briefing from the district administration, police, SDRF, NDRF and other agencies deployed at the site. He will assess the progress made in the rescue operation and issue necessary directions to officials to ensure that the operation continues without interruption despite the difficult conditions.

The Chief Minister is also scheduled to meet workers who have already been rescued and are undergoing treatment after being evacuated from the affected area. He will enquire about their health and speak to them about the assistance and medical care being provided to them.

The state government has maintained that the safe evacuation of every worker trapped inside the tunnel remains its top priority. Officials and rescue personnel are working round the clock to locate and evacuate those still inside and to ensure that the operation is carried out as safely as possible. 

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