Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviews the ongoing rescue and relief operations after a portion of a tunnel under construction between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed, in Uttarkashi district, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
Uttarkashi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday visited the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel site for a review of the rescue operations being carried out there to evacuate 40 labourers trapped inside since Sunday morning following its partial collapse.
Dhami inspected the site here along with officials and discussed the strategy being followed for the safe rescue of the trapped workers.
He asked the officials and multiple agencies engaged in the rescue operations inside the under construction tunnel to work with coordination and inform the administration immediately of their requirements in terms of resources.
All resources and technical help will be provided to them as soon as possible, Dhami said.
All options are being tried for the safe rescue of the trapped workers and large diametre hume pipes are being transported to the project site from Haridwar and Dehradun, he said. Talking to reporters after inspecting the site, Dhami said all agencies are working tirelessly for the safe rescue of trapped workers.
"Safely rescuing the trapped workers is our priority. Rescue operation is being carried out expeditiously. I want to assure the families of the trapped labourers that they will be safely rescued soon," Dhami said.
The Centre and the state government are working together for the safe exit of the trapped labourers, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a detailed update on the rescue operations and assured of all possible help, he said.
According to officials, messages have been exchanged with the trapped workers through a pipe. Oxygen, food items and drinking water have been supplied to the trapped labourers through a pipe.
Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela, Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi and officials of the NHIDCL and other agencies supervising the rescue operations said big excavator machines have been brought to the spot to remove the debris.
The 40 trapped workers include 15 from Jharkhand, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five from Odisha, four from Bihar, three from West Bengal, two each from Uttarakhand and Assam and one from Himachal Pradesh.