36 Workers Feared Trapped As Under-Construction Tunnel Collapses In Uttarakhand; Rescue Ops Underway

Dehradun: At least 36 workers are feared trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district after the under-construction structure collapsed.

Efforts are on to open the tunnel and rescue the trapped workers from the tunnel, reports said.

The tunnel is meant to connect Silkyara to Dandalgaon in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi. It is being built under the Char Dham Road Project and aims to reduce the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dham by 26 kilometres.

Police said the incident occurred around 4 am when a 150-metre-long portion of the four-and-a-half-kilometer-long tunnel collapsed.

As soon as information about the incident was received, the district administration sounded an alert and Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi reached the spot.

The rescue operations are being conducted by the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) and the police.

Authorities said that nearly 200 metres of the slab will have to be cleared to open the tunnel. A narrow opening has been made to insert an oxygen pipe in the tunnel and help the trapped labourers.

No casualties have been reported so far.

Speaking to ANI about the rescue operation, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “I have been in contact with the officials from the time I got to know about the incident. NDRF and SDRF are at the spot. We pray to God for the safe return of everybody.”