Raipur

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has expressed grief over the death of four workers from the state in a tunnel accident in Uttarakhand last week and announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to their families, officials said on Friday.

Sai has also directed officials to ensure payment of Rs 50,000 each to two workers who were injured in the accident, they said.

On the evening of August 13, water and debris entered an under-construction tunnel at a hydroelectric project site in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand following a landslide, trapping 22 workers inside the three-kilometre tunnel.

The incident occurred at the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited project site in the Pipalkoti area. Eleven workers were killed, while 11 others were injured in the incident, officials said.

Four workers from Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district were among those killed. Two belonged to Dhansuli village, while one each was from Madnar and Dahikonga villages, officials said.

In a post on ‘X’ on Thursday night, Sai called the deaths of four workers from Chhattisgarh “deeply distressing”.

The mortal remains of the deceased workers were brought to Kondagaon, where their last rites were performed in the presence of their families, he said.

“Instructions have been issued to provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 to each of the two injured workers,” he said.

Sai said the state government stands with the bereaved families in this hour of grief and would extend all possible assistance to them.

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He prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear the loss. The chief minister also wished the two injured workers a speedy recovery.