40 trapped in tunnel Collapse in Uttarakhand: Here is what we know so far

An under-construction tunnel in northern Uttarakhand collapsed early Sunday morning, trapping 40 workers. Rescuers established contact with the trapped workers and provided them with food, water, and oxygen. Here is everything known about the incident and subsequent operations so far.

The incident occurred in the Char Dham all-weather road project, a significant initiative to connect Silkyara to Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi district that began in 2016. The project, valued at Rs 12,000 crore, is a flagship initiative to enhance connectivity to four major shrines. This includes Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in the upper Himalayas by widening hill roads by 889 km, according to the Indian Express.

The incident occurred 270m from the entrance of the Silkyara side. This tunnel is 4.5 km long, and the construction cost is around Rs 853.79 crore. A report from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) stated the tunnel had been breached by 21 metres.

Forty workers are currently trapped in the tunnel after the collapse. The labourers all hail from various regions: 15 are from Jharkhand, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five from Orissa, four from Bihar, three from West Bengal, two each from Uttarakhand and Assam, and one from Himachal Pradesh, according to the District Emergency Operation Centre.

Also Read: Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Protests break out on fourth day of rescue op

In a press conference, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that all trapped workers were safe, adding that food, water and oxygen had been supplied.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), and the police are conducting rescue operations. On Monday, communication was established through walkie-talkies, and rescue officials confirmed their safety. Oxygen supply was established to the blocked part of the tunnel, ensuring the labourers' safety. Initial communication through radio handsets and the delivery of food packets via a compression pipe has been accomplished.

Rescuers face challenges due to excess debris in the tunnel, complicating the extraction process. According to authorities, on Tuesday, a platform was being prepared for an auger machine to drill horizontally and insert large-diameter MS pipes in between the debris so that the trapped workers could be taken out through the metal pipes.

Uttarkashi's Chief Medical Officer, RCS Panwar, also stated that a six-bed temporary hospital has been set up near the tunnel, and ten ambulances with medical teams are stationed there to provide immediate medical care to the stranded workers upon extraction.

The Uttarakhand government has formed a six-member expert committee to investigate the cause of the tunnel's collapse. Shantanu Sarkar, the director of Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority Dehradun, chairs the committee. It also includes Khaing Shing Lurai, a scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology; Sunil Kumar Yadav, a scientist at the Geological Survey of India; Kaushil Pandit, a senior scientist at the Central Building Research Institute(CBRI) Roorkee; GD Prasad, the deputy director of the geologist from USDMA Dehradun, Tandrila Sarkar.

The team is tasked with examining the collapse, inspecting the site and submitting a report on the incident to the state government.