Rescuers toiling overnight successfully reached approximately 40 workers trapped in the collapsed under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway. Officials stated on Monday that contact has been established, and the workers, now deemed safe, have requested food, which is being provided to them.
The Silkyara police control room said that communication has been established on walkie-talkies. Food packets have been supplied with the help of compressors, it said, as per PTI.
NDRF’s Assistant Commandant, Karamveer Singh Bhandari stated, “All the 40 people trapped inside the tunnel are safe, we have provided water and food to them. Rescue work is underway. We are facing a bit problem as the debris is wet, but our team is leaving no stone unturned and rescue is underway…”, as reported by ANI.
Dredging and drilling operations within the tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon are underway to create an escape passage for the trapped labourers, according to the district emergency operation centre. The tunnel, a segment of the Char Dham all-weather road project, suffered a partial collapse on Sunday morning.
According to the District Emergency Operation Centre, the labourers are said to be natives of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
The rescue operation is underway, in a collaborative effort involving 160 personnel from agencies such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), all trying to rescue the trapped labourers.
Sunday’s officials expressed optimism about the laborers’ safety, citing ample oxygen supply through a water pipeline. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday to inquire about the rescue efforts being carried out.
(With PTI inputs)