Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the site in Uttarkashi where an under-construction tunnel collapsed on Monday. Dhami assured the families of trapped workers that they will be rescued soon and added efforts were taking time since it is being done manually.
Visiting the site, Dhami told presspersons, “The under-construction tunnel work in Silkyara was approximately 4.5 kilometres long. Construction work was completed for four kilometres. Rescue operations are being carried out continuously. We are sending the Hume pipe from Dehradun and Haridwar and we have to make a path of more than 60 meters. Everything is fine inside, the temperature is also normal. The experts who have come to the site are working on Plan A, Plan B, Plan C", ANI reported.
Dhami added the evacuation efforts were taking time since work was being done manually. The chief minister said communication has been established with trapped workers and they are being provided with food, water and oxygen. “Evacuation takes time because work has to be done manually, debris is falling down due to use of machinery”, Dhami said.
The director of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), which is building the tunnel, Anshu Manish Khalko said, “All the trapped labourers are safe. They have been contacted several times on walkie-talkie and edibles and drinking water have been supplied to them.” He added loose debris which is hampering rescue efforts was being stabilised using shotcrete.
