Locals bring 'doli' of local deity to Uttarkashi tunnel collapse site. Watch

As efforts to rescue the 41 construction workers trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi are being carried out at a war footing, locals from the nearby villages carried a ‘doli’ (palanquin) of a local deity to the rescue site to offer prayers for the safety of the victims.

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A video posted by the news agency PTI shows a group of locals carrying the ‘doli’ and walking towards the rescue site amid beats of a ‘dhol’ and bells. They can also be heard raising slogans for the deity. Another video shows the locals establishing the temple of the local deity Baba Baukhnag at the rescue site.

What we know so far:

1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain on Thursday evening said that the 41 workers trapped in the tunnel in Uttarkashi for the last 11 days are likely to be rescued in the next few hours or by tomorrow. However, he warned the masses against putting pressure on the rescue teams with their expectations saying that the trapped workers and the rescuers are at equal risk.
2. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the rescue site and spoke to the trapped workers. “We have come to around 45 meters (through the rubble). We are very close to you now,” the CM told them.
3. The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) has initiated the construction of a rescue tunnel from the Barkot end, with four blasts already completed, resulting in a 9.10-meter drift. According to officials, efforts are being made to carry out three blasts per day.
4. The equipment for micro tunneling required for horizontal drilling to rescue the trapped workers reached the site on Thursday. Officials said that the platform is likely to be completed by Friday and the equipment will be set up by Saturday, reported PTI.
5. The Uttarkashi administration has arranged for 41 ambulances near the rescue site - out of which 31 7 are for Advanced Life Support (ALS), and the rest are for Basic Life Support (BLS).

(With inputs from agencies)