Several workers rescued from collapsed Uttarkashi tunnel

Around 20 of the 41 trapped workers were rescued from the Silkyari tunnel in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening. The successful evacuation followed several days of painstaking and tense recue efforts by several agencies. The successful rescue effort drew cheers and jubilation from the crowd of rescue workers and assembled locals. A portion of the tunnel that was located between 205 and 260 metres from the Silkyara side collapsed on November 12. Workers trapped with their exit blocked were those who had crossed the 260-meter mark. Currently, efforts are on to rescue 41 labourers who have been trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyari tunnel since November 12. Wheeled stretchers fastened to ropes are being used by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel to free the stranded workers. Concurrently, Union Minister of State General (Retd) VK Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with the rescued workers. On November 12, a section of the tunnel collapsed, trapping 41 labourers within the still-under-construction structure. The rubble fell in a 60-meter section on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. “The breakthrough occurred at precisely 7:05 p.m. There is the chief minister of Uttarakhand, the minister of state for roads, transport and civil aviation, Gen. VK Singh’, reports Harpal Singh, the project head for the Zoji-la Tunnel. The workers’ bravery and sense of morale throughout the rescue effort were greatly praised by CM Dhami. In the meantime, workers were being rescued by NDRF and SDRF personnel who had entered the tunnel. The Uttarakhand chief minister and other officials arrived at the Silkyara tunnel rescue location earlier today. On November 12, a section of the tunnel collapsed, trapping 41 labourers within the still-under-construction structure. The rubble fell in a 60-meter section on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. (With agency inputs)