Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Efforts Continue on Day 4 To Rescue Trapped Workers

A portion of an under-construction tunnel being built between Silkyara and Dandalgaon had caved in on Sunday.

Rescue operations continued on the third day, Tuesday, 14 November, to rescue 40 workers trapped after a tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Rescue operations continued on the third day, Tuesday, 14 November, to rescue 40 workers trapped after a tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The collapse occurred early on Sunday, 12 November. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Rescue workers have been trying to create a passage to reach the trapped workers. Officials said that 21 metres of the slab blocking the tunnel has been successfully removed and another 19 metres are remaining, NDTV reported. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Officials have also been planning to push pipes through of around 900 mm in diameter, which should be wide enough for the trapped workers to come through. The pipe will bore a hole through the debris. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Officials said that a platform is being created to enable a machine to drill through the debris and push the pipes through. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The trapped men are mostly migrant workers from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

A portion of an under-construction tunnel being built between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway had caved in on Sunday. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami overseeing rescue efforts. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

CM Dhami with rescue workers and police officials at the site of the accident. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Initial reports have suggested that the collapse was caused by a landslide. However, officials are still working on identifying the exact reason behind the accident. 

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway is a part of the Chardham project.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)