Some stranded laborers talked to their family members through the pipe

Uttarkashi : The rescue operation to rescue 40 laborers trapped in an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district continued for the third day on Tuesday. The police provided the workers with the facility to talk to worried family members through a pipe. To boost the morale of the stranded people, Uttarkashi Police CO Prashant Kumar made arrangements for some of them to talk to their families through a pipe. Kotdwar resident Gambhir Singh Negi, who was among the stranded people, spoke to his son, who inquired about their well-being and informed about the efforts being made to rescue them. Meanwhile, the Uttarkashi police control room is keeping the families of others informed about the situation, while food, water and oxygen are being supplied to the stranded people.

A portion of the under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district collapsed due to a landslide in the early hours of Sunday. To evacuate the workers from the tunnel, 900 mm diameter steel pipes and drill and boring machines have reached the spot and the work of cutting the structure obstructing the way has started. Meanwhile, SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra, who is leading the rescue operation, spoke to the workers trapped in the tunnel through walkie-talkie on Tuesday and inquired about their well-being. The workers told them that they were all fine and hoped that they would be rescued soon. According to the district administration, of the 40 stranded labourers, 15 are from Jharkhand, three from Bihar, four from West Bengal, two from Uttarakhand, one from Himachal Pradesh, eight from Uttar Pradesh, two from Assam and five from Odisha.