Over 100 Injured in Monorail Collision at Indian Hydropower Site
More than 100 construction workers were injured after two monorail trains collided at a hydropower project site in northern India, officials said.
More than 100 people were injured after two monorail trains collided at a hydropower project under construction in northern India, highlighting persistent safety risks at large infrastructure sites.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, December 31, that the accident occurred in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where the monorail system was being used at a remote hydropower construction zone.
According to local authorities, all those injured were construction workers employed at the power plant, many of whom were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment, with several reported in serious condition.
Gaurav Kumar, a senior Uttarakhand official, said preliminary findings suggest the crash was triggered by brake failure in one of the monorail trains, causing it to slam into another on the same track.
The monorail system was being used to ferry workers and transport construction materials across steep terrain, a common practice at hydropower projects located in mountainous regions of India.
India has rapidly expanded hydropower and other infrastructure projects in recent years, particularly in its northern states, where difficult geography often necessitates temporary transport systems with limited safety oversight.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of workplace safety standards in India’s construction sector, which has seen repeated accidents amid tight project timelines and challenging environmental conditions.
Authorities said a formal investigation has been launched to determine responsibility and assess whether safety protocols were violated, while work at the site has been temporarily suspended.
Officials in Uttarakhand said lessons from the crash would be used to tighten safety regulations at similar projects, as pressure grows to balance rapid development with worker protection.
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