CM Dhami: 16 of 22 Workers Rescued from THDC Tunnel
Synopsis
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed on 13 August 2026 that 16 of 22 workers trapped in a THDC under-construction tunnel at Mayapur (Piplakoti) have been rescued, with multi-agency teams continuing operations on a war footing for the remaining six.
Key Takeaways
16 of 22 workers trapped in the THDC tunnel at Mayapur (Piplakoti) have been safely evacuated as of 13 August 2026 .
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami personally visited the Disaster Operations Centre, Dehradun to review progress and issue directives.
Dhami called rescued workers directly to check on their condition and assured all possible assistance.
Rescue for the remaining 6 workers is ongoing on a war footing with no pause.
Agencies deployed include NDRF, ITBP, Indian Army, Uttarakhand Police, UKSDRF and the district administration.
Officials have been directed to ensure proper medical treatment and care for all evacuated workers.
Sixteen workers are out. Six are still trapped. And Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is personally monitoring every step of the race against time unfolding inside a THDC India Limited under-construction tunnel at Mayapur (Piplakoti) in the Garhwal hills.
Late on Thursday, 13 August 2026, CM Dhami arrived at the Disaster Operations Centre in Dehradun, where he reviewed the progress of the rescue mission and issued fresh directives to officials on the ground. He also personally called the workers who had already been brought out to check on their condition and assured them of every possible assistance.
The rescue race: 16 out, 6 still inside
Of the 22 labourers trapped inside the tunnel, 16 have been safely evacuated as of the CM's update. Dhami confirmed that the operation for the remaining six is being conducted on a yuddh star — war footing — with no pause. Officials have been directed to ensure proper medical treatment and care for all rescued workers.
The multi-agency response on site includes the district administration, Uttarakhand Police, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (UKSDRF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and units of the Indian Army — a coalition that has become the standard playbook for Himalayan rescue operations in the state.
Why THDC tunnels in Garhwal carry this risk
Uttarakhand's terrain makes this kind of crisis a recurring reality. The state's Himalayan geology — unstable rock, heavy seasonal rain, and seismic activity — regularly tests infrastructure projects, particularly the hydro-power tunnels that THDC and other public-sector companies are pushing through the mountains under central energy and connectivity schemes.
The state established its own State Disaster Response Force precisely to anchor these joint operations, plugging the coordination gap between central agencies like NDRF and ITBP and local civil administration. That institutional architecture is now fully activated at Piplakoti.
CM's assurance and what comes next
Dhami was unambiguous about the priority: 'Our highest priority is to bring every worker trapped in the tunnel out safely,' he said in his post. The state government is expected to review the rescue operation's outcome and consider compensation or rehabilitation measures for the affected workers once all are accounted for. A safety audit of the tunnel site will likely follow.
Sixteen families can breathe again tonight. The rescue teams are not stopping until the remaining six can too.
Point of View
ITBP, and the Army alongside the state's own SDRF reflects the institutionalised multi-agency framework built after repeated Himalayan disasters. The episode also spotlights the unresolved tension between the pace of hydropower tunnel construction in geologically fragile Garhwal and the safety protocols governing those projects. How the state handles compensation, accountability, and any subsequent safety audit will determine whether this incident becomes a policy inflection point or a footnote.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many workers were trapped in the THDC tunnel in Uttarakhand?
22 workers were trapped inside the under-construction THDC tunnel at Mayapur (Piplakoti) in Uttarakhand.
How many workers have been rescued from the Piplakoti tunnel so far?
As of CM Dhami's update on 13 August 2026 , 16 of the 22 trapped workers have been safely rescued. Operations for the remaining 6 are ongoing.
Which agencies are involved in the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation?
The rescue involves NDRF, ITBP, the Indian Army, Uttarakhand Police, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force (UKSDRF) , and the district administration.
What is THDC India Limited and what was it building at Piplakoti?
THDC India Limited is a public-sector hydropower company. It was constructing a tunnel at Mayapur (Piplakoti) in Uttarakhand's Garhwal region as part of a hydropower project when the incident occurred.
What did CM Dhami do during the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue?
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Disaster Operations Centre in Dehradun , reviewed the rescue progress, issued directives to officials, and personally called rescued workers to check on their condition and assure them of support.
