Nine workers were buried alive and ten injured when heavy lanslides hit an underground tunnel of 2400 mw Tehri hydel project on Tuesday morning, official sources said.

The exact number of people working in the tunnel, however, was not known, they said.

This is the first major incident of its kind following  rise in Bhagirathi river, which inundated several parts of old Tehri town last week.

So far nine bodies have been recovered from the tunnel, sources said. The injured were being taken to the hospital. Senior police and administrative officials have rushed to the spot.