A road tunnel under construction in Uttarakhand, India, collapsed, trapping 40 workers inside. The workers, who hail from various Indian states, have been trapped for over 72 hours due to a landslide. The trapped laborers include eight from Uttar Pradesh, 15 from Jharkhand, five from Odisha, four from Bihar, three from West Bengal, two each from Uttarakhand and Assam, and one from Himachal Pradesh.
The rescue operation has been hampered by falling debris, technical glitches, and a fresh landslide that caused a stampede-like situation, injuring two laborers. Despite these challenges, rescue workers have managed to establish contact with the trapped men and have been providing them with food, water, and oxygen through pipes. Some of the workers are reportedly sick, suffering from fever and body aches.
The rescue plan involves drilling wide pipes through the excavated rubble. New drilling equipment is being brought from Delhi to speed up the rescue operations, and the rescue crews expect to reach the trapped workers by Tuesday or Wednesday.
The tunnel is part of a road project initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to improve travel conditions between popular Hindu shrines and areas bordering China. However, experts have warned about the impact of extensive construction in Uttarakhand, which is prone to landslides. Protests have been held outside the tunnel urging authorities to take swifter action.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of workers in such projects and the potential environmental impact of extensive construction in landslide-prone areas.