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On November 14, heavy machinery drilled to fix a wide steel pipe to create an escape route for 40 Indian workers trapped in a highway tunnel construction site collapse two days ago in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.
Disaster response official Devendra Singh Patwal confirmed that authorities have provided food, water and oxygen to those trapped and are in contact with all of them. Excavators have been removing rocks and soil for the past two days and are waiting to lower a wide steel pipe into the hole that has been dug, creating a safe escape route for the trapped workers.
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| Rescue work is underway at the site of a tunnel collapse in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand on November 12, 2023. Photo: PTI/TTXVN |
It is difficult to estimate how long it will take to get the workers out, Singh Patwa said, adding that a team of geological experts had arrived at the scene to assess the cause of the incident.
Currently, more than 100 rescue workers are still working tirelessly to rescue the trapped workers.
Ranjit Kumar Sinha, another senior disaster response official, said there was enough oxygen supply to keep the workers trapped for five to six days, but he hoped they could be rescued by November 15.
One worker who was lucky enough to escape said that about 10-20 of the workers were on their way out of the tunnel after finishing their shift. Therefore, they were closer to the exit when the tunnel collapsed. The rest were trapped deep behind the pile of rubble.
The tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand state occurred early on November 12. The 4.5km tunnel is being built between Silkyara and Dandalgaon to connect the two holiest Hindu temples, Uttarkashi and Yamunotri.
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