Uttarakhand : 40 workers trapped in Uttarkashi under-construction tunnel collapse safe

Day 2 of rescue efforts has begun at the location of the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse, which was under construction. Rescue teams are able to breach 15 meters into the tunnel, but forty workers remain trapped inside. According to rescuers, the teams still need to remove roughly 35 meters of debris in order to get to where the 40 trapped workers are. The workers who are trapped have been able to communicate with the rescuers.

Prashant Kumar, Circle Officer of Uttarkashi told “The debris is about 60 meters deep. As we are clearing the debris, it is falling from above. The present situation is, that yesterday we established communication with the people trapped inside the tunnel. We have moved around 15 metres inside the tunnel, and around 35 metres are still to be covered. Everyone is safe, we have provided oxygen and water to them. We are making our way sideways to go inside the tunnel. After establishing communication, around 40 people are trapped inside.”

The workers who are trapped inside have reportedly been given water and snacks by NDRF teams, who hope to break through the debris this evening and save the workers. We’ve succeeded in providing water and chips to the stranded laborers. We are able to attest to the workers’ safety. The search and rescue effort is still ongoing, and by this evening, we hope to have broken through the wreckage and arrived at the workers’ location in order to free them. The tunnel collapsed because the plaster work at that section was incomplete, according to Karmaveer Singh Bhandari, Assistant Commander of the NDRF.