Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse
A portion of the still-under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed today, leaving several workers fearfully trapped inside. The tunnel is being opened in an attempt to free the stranded labourers.
The tunnel is intended to link Uttarkashi, in Uttarakhand, to Dandalgaon and Silkyara. It is being constructed as part of the Char Dham Road Project with the intention of cutting the distance between Uttarkashi and Yamunotri Dham by 26 km.
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According to police, the incident happened at 4 am when a 150-meter-long section of the 4.5-kilometer-long tunnel fell.
Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi arrived at the scene as soon as the district government issued an alert regarding the occurrence.
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The State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) and the police are handling the rescue efforts.
Reports state that 40 workers may be stranded. According to the authorities, clearing around 200 metres of the slab will be necessary in order to access the tunnel. To help the workmen who are stuck in the tunnel, a small opening has been made for the insertion of an oxygen pipe.
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As of yet, no casualties have been reported.
