Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Workers ‘doing well’; food, water supplied through pipes
Manikant Mishra, who is leading the rescue operation, said the workers would be rescued soon. He added that food and medicines were supplied to the workers.
The 40 labourers trapped inside an under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway that collapsed on Sunday, have told the commandant of Uttarakhand's SDRF, Manikant Mishra, that they were "doing well".
Mishra, who is leading the rescue operation, said that the workers will be rescued soon, news agency ANI reported. He added that food items and medicines were supplied to the workers on Tuesday.
A portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Dandalgaon on the Yamunotri National Highway (NH) collapsed on Sunday, leaving workers trapped inside.
Evacuators began drilling with heavy machinery to fit a large-diameter steel pipe inside the Silkyara Tunnel to rescue the workers. The operation is likely to begin shortly.
Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday held a meeting in Dehradun to review the ongoing operation.
Speaking to ANI, Dhami said, “I am closely monitoring the situation. I had visited the spot, and I also spoke to the family members of the people who're trapped inside. The technical team has begun the work to assemble the pipe. As soon as everything works, we hope they will be rescued. Everyone is happy. Food, water and oxygen are being supplied to the people who are trapped inside regularly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also closely monitoring the situation and is being updated. Because the work is frequent in Uttarakhand, we will review the works of all the under-construction tunnels so we can avoid such situations.”
As per the police, the incident took place around 4am when a 150-metre-long portion of the four-and-a-half-kilometer-long tunnel collapsed.
Of the 40 workers trapped inside the tunnel, 15 are from Jharkhand, five from Odisha and four from Bihar. The remaining 16 workers include eight from Uttar Pradesh, three from West Bengal, two each from Uttarakhand and Assam, and one from Himachal Pradesh.
Rescuers have managed to establish contact with the 40 workers via walkie-talkie sets and pumped in oxygen and food through pipes laid down to supply water for construction. While they are not in any immediate danger since air is expected to last the next 5-6 days, officials fear rain could hamper rescue by creating more debris.
