‘Pray to God’: at least 40 Indian workers trapped in road tunnel collapse
- About 200 metres of a 4.5km tunnel being built in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand collapsed, said a state disaster response official
- Oxygen was being supplied through the debris ‘but more rubble is coming down as rescuers try to remove the obstruction’
At least 40 construction workers were trapped on Sunday after the road tunnel they were building collapsed in northern India, with rescuers scrambling to reach them beneath piles of debris.
The collapse occurred early Sunday morning in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand when a group of workers were moving out and replacement workers were going in.
“About 200 metres (218 yards) of the tunnel have collapsed,” Durgesh Rathodi, a state disaster response official, told AFP.
“About 40 to 41 workers are trapped inside. Oxygen is being supplied through the debris, but more rubble is coming down as rescuers try to remove the obstruction.”
According to the report, 160 emergency personnel were involved in the rescue work.
The 4.5km (2.7 mile) tunnel is being constructed between Silkyara and Dandalgaon to connect two of the holiest Hindu shrines of Uttarkashi and Yamnotri.