Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Rescue Mission Enters Day 4, Fresh Landslide Hinders Progress

A portion of an under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed leaving 40 labourers trapped inside. A rescue mission is on to extricate the trapped men.

Rescue operations are on at Uttarkashi (Pic: ANI)

Forty labourers remain trapped in Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. In the early hours of November 12, 2023, a portion of an under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed, entrapping these 40 people. While rescue operations are on a war footing, a fresh spell of landslide on Tuesday saw rubbles falling from above, thus hampering the rescue mission. 

How Rescue Work Is Being Planned

To rescue the workers from the tunnel, 900 mm diameter steel pipes and drill and boring machines have reached the spot and work has begun to cut through the blockage. Uttarkashi DM Abhishek Rohilla says, "There was a demand for some pipes to carry out rescue operations. The demanded pipes have been provided, and an escape tunnel will be made to further carry out the rescue operation."

Earlier, Rohilla had told reporters, "The rescue operation is ongoing. Efforts are being made to make a safe passage or a small tunnel with the help of a pipe. Material has been made available at the site. The platform is also being made for them. After that, the construction of the escape tunnel will also be started. Everyone is said to be safe. Food and water have been arranged for them. NHIDCL officials say that they have been able to establish continuous communication with them."

Connecting With The Trapped Men

Meanwhile, Uttarkashi Police's CO Prashant Kumar, in a bid to bolster the trapped men's spirits, made arrangements for some of them to talk to their families through this mechanism. Kotdwara resident Gambhir Singh Negi, who is among the trapped men, talked to his son, who inquired about his well-being and gave him an update on the efforts being made to rescue them. 

On the third day of rescue operations, that is Tuesday, the police facilitated the contact of trapped men with their anxious kin through a pipe. The Uttarkashi police control room is keeping others' families updated on the situation while food, water, and oxygen are being supplied to the trapped men. SDRF commandant Manikant Mishra, who is leading the rescue operation, on Tuesday, talked to the workers trapped in the tunnel through a walkie-talkie and inquired about their well-being. The workers told him that they were all fine and hoped they would be rescued soon.

(With Agency inputs)