Uttarakhand: In Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, around 40 workers have been trapped inside an under-construction tunnel for over 24 hours. The workers were deployed for reprofiling, a process involving the modification or adjustment of a structure, when a portion of the tunnel, about 50 to 55 meters away, collapsed, trapping them inside.

Secretary of Disaster Management Ranjit Kumar Sinha, who visited the site, estimated that it may take an additional two days to rescue the trapped workers. An escape passage, approximately 60 meters in distance, has been created, with around 20 meters of the slab blocking the tunnel removed. A 35-meter passage is yet to be cleared.

Rescue teams are prioritizing the supply of essentials such as food and oxygen to the trapped workers. Medicines, food, water, electricity, and oxygen have been supplied through pipes, and communication with the workers has been established using Walkie-Talkies.

The rescue teams are planning to use a hydraulic jack to push a 900 mm diameter pipe through the debris, creating a hole for the evacuation of the trapped workers. All necessary material and machinery for the operation are being mobilized, with experts from the irrigation department joining the efforts.

The 4.5 km-long tunnel, part of the Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana, connects Silkyara to the Gangotri-Yamnotri axis. The trapped workers are reportedly safe in a 400-meter buffer zone within the tunnel. The incident is believed to have been triggered by a landslide in the region, with loose soil causing delays in the rescue operations, as stated by Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami.