At least seven workers have been killed and 13 others injured after a landslide caused water and debris to flood a tunnel under construction in northern India.
The incident occurred late Thursday in Uttarakhand, a Himalayan state, where workers were constructing a tunnel for a state-owned hydropower project.
According to the State Disaster Management Authority, three workers remain missing, while 19 others were rescued from the site operated by the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation.
Footage released by local authorities showed rescue teams wearing head-mounted lights and using makeshift rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel.
Uttarakhand has experienced heavy monsoon rainfall in recent days, triggering concerns over floods and landslides.
Officials and experts have warned that accidents at major construction sites are common in India, while environmentalists argue that rapid and poorly planned development in the fragile Himalayan region is increasing the risk of disasters.
Last month, 20 workers were killed after becoming trapped in a tunnel linked to another state-run hydroelectric project in Sikkim.
In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after spending 17 days trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand.
Hundreds of people have died across India from floods and landslides since the annual monsoon season began in June. Experts say climate change, combined with poorly planned development, is contributing to the increasing frequency and severity of such disasters.
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