5 persons from Odisha are among 40 workers trapped in Uttarakhand tunnel collapse

 Bhubaneswar: Five persons from Odisha are among the 40 workers who have been reportedly trapped after an under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district partially collapsed on Sunday. Efforts are on to rescue all the trapped workers by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF), and the local police.

All the 40 workers, including the ones from Odisha, are currently safe. They are being supplied with oxygen through a pipe. Rescue officials are sending water and food items, an official of the state government who is in constant touch with the Uttarakhand government said.

The workers from Odisha were identified as Tapan Mandal, Bhagban Batra from Nabarangpur, Biseswar Nayak of Mayurbhanj, Dhiren from Kuladiha, and Raju Nayak from Mayurbhanj.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said he was deeply concerned about the situation in Uttarakhand

“Deeply concerned to know that several workers. including workers from Odisha, have been trapped following collapse of an under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. Praying for the safe and speedy rescue of all the workers," Patnaik said.

The state government is in touch with the family members of the trapped persons and is sharing updates on the rescue operations.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami who visited the accident site on Monday morning reportedly hinted at the challenges faced by the rescue teams in the operation. He said that the debris was still falling even as the rescue teams continued to clear the piled up debris.

Dhami assured that all the trapped workers would be rescued unharmed.

The five Odia workers were also part of the 40-member workers who were engaged in the construction work of the tunnel. Other workers trapped inside the tunnel are mostly from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.

The tunnel is being constructed to connect Silkyara to Dandalgaon in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi. It is being built under the Char Dham Road Project and aims to reduce the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dham by 26 km.

Latest reports said excavation with shotcreting (spraying concrete) for 40 meters of collapsed tunnel was under progress and chimney formation along the tunnel had started. A cavity has been formed 10 meter above the crown (highest point of tunnel) at both the left and right sides, added reports.

Shashi Chauhan, a mechanic engaged in the construction of the tunnel, said there were around 50-60 workers and they were coming out after ending their night shift to celebrate Diwali. Some of the workers were out before the collapse, which blocked the way for 40 workers.

“Initially there was panic among the workers trapped inside, but after continuous communication was established around midnight and food was provided, they felt relaxed. There is enough light and space inside. They also have walkie talkies and extra batteries," Chauhan was quoted as saying to reporters at the accident site.