Around 40 workers are assumed to have been trapped in an under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakal-Yamunotri National Highway between Silkyara and Dndalgaon in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand that collapsed due to a landslide. The tunnel is a crucial part of the Chaar Dhaam Road project.
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Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse
According to the sources around 40 workers got trapped in the under-construction tunnel in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand as it collapsed due to a landslide. According to the Superintendent of Police (Uttarkashi) Arpan Yaduvanshi, the tragic as well as horrific incident occurred on Sunday morning.
As per Uttarkashi District Disaster Management Officer Devendra Patwal’s information, the incident took place at a distance of 270 meters from the entrance to the tunnel from Silkayara end and the debris had piled up to 30 meters portion of the said tunnel.
Contact Established, Food and Oxygen Provided
As per the recent reports, communication has been established with the people. The workers trapped inside are safe and oxygen, food and water have also been supplied to them. Reports mention that two pipes have been connected inside the tunnel. Var Food items are being sent through one pipe while oxygen is being pumped through the other pipe.
Senior Police officers have reported that there have been no casualties in the horrific incident. As per the reports, the laborers had entered for some work on Saturday and were expected to exit on Sunday.
Relief Measures Underway
Various agencies like the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and Uttarakhand Police Personnel are working tirelessly towards the relief measures for the safety and security of the people trapped inside the tunnel.’
According to the Press Trust of India around 160 personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and BRO are engaged in the rescue efforts. The rescue teams are quite positive about the safety of the individuals inside the tunnel. Frantic efforts are being carried out by the rescue team to save the trapped laborers in the tunnel due to a landslide.
Uttarakhand CM Examines the situation
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Uttarkashi to examine the situation. He mentioned that he was constantly in touch with all the officials from the time this tragic incident occurred.
He asserted that all measures would be adopted to rescue the people trapped. He inspected the accident site and thoroughly reviewed the rescue efforts that were conducted. He also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured that the Center would help in every possible way to ensure the safety and security of people trapped in the tunnel.
This tunnel would help to reduce the distance of the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dam by about 26km. This is not the first construction disaster in recent months, rather there have been many in India which is spending billions to upgrade the transportation network. In August this year, many workers were killed in a bridge collapse in the state of Mizoram. Recently the Morbi bridge disaster in Gujarat also killed 135 people.
