At least seven people were killed after a sudden surge of water and debris entered an under-construction tunnel at a hydropower project in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday, officials said. Three workers are still trapped, while 18 workers have been rescued so far, according to the State Disaster Management Authority.

Around 28 people were working at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC) project site in Pipalkoti when a large amount of water and debris rushed into the tunnel. The force of the water swept several workers towards the tunnel’s exit.

Water and debris surged into tunnel

Chamoli District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar said a significant amount of debris and water entered the tunnel at around 6.30 pm while construction work was underway.

“This is a tunnel under construction for a hydropower project. Around 6.30 pm, a significant amount of debris and water surged into the tunnel,” he said.

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are working through the debris to locate the three workers who remain trapped.

Dhami orders rescue operation

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed officials to conduct rescue and relief operations on a priority basis. He said he was receiving real-time updates from senior officers about the situation.

Dhami also said he had spoken to injured workers undergoing treatment in hospital and that their condition was stable.

The chief minister said he had informed the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh that residents of those states who were injured or involved in the incident were receiving treatment in Uttarakhand.

Heavy rain in Chamoli

The incident comes after several days of heavy rainfall in the district. On Monday, strong currents caused by rising water levels in a river swept away a bridge in the Niti Valley region of Chamoli.

A video of the incident showed a large volume of muddy water rushing downstream and striking the metal bridge. The force of the water uprooted the bridge and pushed it towards the riverbank.

The BJP has launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his remarks mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of foreign policy.

Addressing the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi’s approach to foreign policy was largely about hugging foreign leaders. He also referred to the BJP-RSS as a “bunch of jokers” and accused them of having no understanding of India.

While making his point about the Prime Minister’s public embraces with foreign leaders, Rahul Gandhi staged a hug with Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage.

Dikshit then brought Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni into the exchange with a remark, following which Rahul Gandhi played along.

BJP leaders hit back at Rahul Gandhi

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi asked Rahul Gandhi to “grow up”, saying that running the country required mature leadership rather than what he described as “amateur dramatics”.

“Rahul Gandhi, when will you grow up? Running India requires mature leadership, not amateur dramatics,” Joshi said.

He accused the Congress leader of insulting the people of India by attacking the Prime Minister and criticised his reference to the democratically elected government as “jokers and clowns”.

Joshi also attacked Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of PM Modi’s political rise, saying the Prime Minister had not risen through family lineage or dynastic politics.

The minister further alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s language reflected frustration and said that insulting the Prime Minister amounted to insulting the people of India.

Giriraj Singh, Bansuri Swaraj criticise Rahul Gandhi

Union Minister Giriraj Singh called Rahul Gandhi “mentally frustrated” and criticised his conduct.

He also appealed to Sonia Gandhi to intervene and ensure that Rahul Gandhi received “appropriate help”, saying the situation could become serious.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s language, saying it was contrary to the dignity expected from the constitutional position of the Leader of Opposition.

She said the country needed a Leader of Opposition who played the role of a “constructive opposition” rather than engaging in what she described as “cheap rhetoric for social media memes and reels”.

Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar called the exchange involving PM Modi and Giorgia Meloni a new low in public discourse.

He criticised what he described as vulgar jokes targeting the Prime Minister and the Italian leader and said the remarks were deeply disgraceful.

The West Bengal government has withdrawn the Banga Bibhushan, the state’s highest civilian honour, from BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagendra Ray, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj, amid controversy over his remarks about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. 

The award was conferred on Ray on February 21, 2026, when the Mamata Banerjee government was in power. The state government said the honour recognises distinguished and exemplary contributions to the state and its people and carries a high degree of dignity and prestige.

Why Bengal withdrew the award

The decision came less than 24 hours after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari directed the police to take stringent action, including arrests, against people making derogatory remarks about Netaji on social media.

Adhikari had also said that the law would apply equally to MPs, MLAs and government officials.

The directive followed remarks by Ananta Maharaj in which he described Netaji as a “war criminal” and questioned his leadership as well as the role of the Azad Hind Fauj in India’s freedom struggle.

What the Bengal government said

In its order, the state government said that “certain facts and circumstances” had emerged that raised questions over Nagendra Ray’s continued retention of the honour.

The government said the competent authority had concluded that retaining the Banga Bibhushan was inconsistent with the dignity, prestige and purpose of the award.

It therefore withdrew and annulled the honour conferred upon Nagendra Ray on February 21, 2026, with immediate effect. The order did not specifically identify the particular offence behind the decision.

Who is Nagendra Ray?

Nagendra Ray, popularly known as Ananta Maharaj, is a BJP Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal who hails from Cooch Behar in the northern part of the state and is a leader of the Rajbanshi community. 

The withdrawal of the state honour comes amid controversy over his remarks concerning Netaji, a prominent figure in India’s freedom struggle and a revered personality in Bengal.