Jammu tunnel collapse: Three more bodies recovered, search for six others underway

Three more bodies were recovered from the debris of an under-construction tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway that collapsed on Thursday, officials said.

New Delhi: The death toll in Jammu and Kashmir tunnel collapse rose to four after three more bodies were recovered from the debris on Saturday (May 21, 2022), the officials informed. The officials also informed that the operation to rescue nine labourers feared trapped under the debris resumed early on Saturday after a fresh landslide on Friday evening had forced the authorities to suspend the process.

A portion of an under-construction tunnel collapsed on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway around 10 pm on Thursday night.

The rescue teams recovered two bodies today, after a hectic search stretching several hours, which were later sent to a nearby hospital for identification. The officials said that another body was spotted under the debris and efforts are underway to pull it out. 

Nine were feared trapped under the debris. An operation to rescue them was soon launched but had to be suspended on Friday evening due to a fresh landslide and inclement weather.

The audit tunnel of T3 on the highway near Khooni Nallah in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district caved in at the start of the work at around 10.15 pm on Thursday, after which officials had confirmed that a labourer had died and three others were rescued.

Over 15 rescuers, including the Station House Officer of Ramsu police station, Nayeem-Ul-Haq, had a narrow escape during this time, according to the officials.

(With agency inputs)