A multi-agency operation is being conducted to rescue 40 workers trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand. An under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway in the state’s Uttarkashi district collapsed at around 5 am on November 12, trapping 40 workers under the debris.
Relief and rescue operations are being carried out by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) and police.
Speaking to news agency ANI, NDRF Assistant Commandant Karamvir Singh Bhandari said:
“All the 40 people trapped inside the tunnel are safe, we have provided them water and food. The rescue work is going on. We are facing some trouble due to the debris being wet, but our team will leave no stone unturned and the rescue work is going on.”
Another official says that the debris is about 60 meters deep. As we are removing the debris, debris is falling from above. We have removed about 15-20 meters of debris.
An official told NDTV that the collapsed part of the tunnel is located at a distance of about 200 meters from the tunnel entry and so far about 20 meters of slab has been removed to open the tunnel.
Chief Minister Dhami gave instructions to speed up the rescue operation.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Silkyara in Uttarkashi on Monday. Where Chief Minister Dhami inspected the land subsidence site inside the Silkyara Tunnel and reviewed the relief and rescue operations.
The Chief Minister said that it is the top priority of the government to quickly rescue the laborers trapped in the tunnel, for which every possible effort is being made. Instructing the officers and agencies to carry out the relief and rescue work at full speed with coordination and promptness, he said that whatever material and expertise will be required from outside for the campaign, the government will immediately make it available.
The Chief Minister said that all possible options are being considered for relief and rescue operations. Arrangements have been made to send large diameter hume pipes from Haridwar and Dehradun for rescue operations. Due to the grace of God and the efforts of the people involved in the rescue operation, the workers trapped inside the tunnel will soon be rescued safely.
Garhwal Division Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, who came to inspect the incident site along with the Chief Minister, also took information about the relief and rescue work.
This tunnel is being built to connect Silkyara to Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. It is being built under the Char Dham Road Project and aims to reduce the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dham by 26 kilometers.
13 out of 40 laborers are from Jharkhand
Of the 40 laborers trapped in tunnel construction, 13 are from Jharkhand. The families and people of these laborers are worried. Jharkhand government is also keeping an eye on their rescue operation.
Jharkhand Labor Minister Satyanand Bhokta has said that the State Migrant Control Room is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government. Among the stranded laborers are Subodh Verma (25), the only son of Budhan Mahato, resident of Simradhab in Giridih district, and Vishwajeet Verma (25) of Keshodih in the same district. Both of them had gone to Uttarakhand in search of work and were working in this project. Due to poor financial condition of the house, both of them have left the house in search of employment.
As soon as the information was received around 4 am on Monday morning, the relatives reached the victim’s house and were informed about the incident. When the chief said that he was safe, the family members calmed down.
Leaves of all officers of Uttarkashi district canceled
Leaves of all officers of Uttarkashi district have been cancelled. The District Magistrate said on Sunday that the first priority of the administration is to get the workers trapped inside the tunnel out safely. For this, relief and rescue operations are being conducted on war footing. The rescue operation is being conducted by the administration with the cooperation of various relief and rescue agencies and technical organizations and NHIDCL.
District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela has canceled the leaves of all the officers of the district and has instructed them to immediately report to their respective work places and be ready round the clock for relief and rescue operations.
