Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Assam workers family members hopeful of safe return

Family members of the two workers from Assam’s Kokrajhar are hopeful of their safe return who are among the 41 trapped inside the tunnel.

The duo identified as Ram Prasad Narzary and Sanjay Basumatary, hailing from Rampalbil village in Kokrajhar district has been trapped for 11 days now with other 39 people in a tunnel in Uttarakhand.

Earlier on Tuesday, in a sigh of relief for the families of the workers trapped in a tunnel visuals of the workers emerged for the first time after a camera was slipped inside through the rubble of the collapsed portion of the tunnel.

The families are now praying and hoping for the safe return of the duo.

On November 12, a collapse occurred in an under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot due to a muck falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel, following which 41 labourers were trapped. Rescue teams have been working tirelessly to reach out to the workers and establish contact with them.

On Monday, the rescue operation witnessed a breakthrough after rescuers were able to push a six-inch diameter pipe through the debris inside the tunnel. As per reports, the trapped men appeared to be doing fine.

The 41 trapped workers were served packed solid food items such as veg pulao and matar paneer as the ongoing operation to rescue them entered its 11th day on Wednesday.

The cooked meal was sent to trapped workers through the 6-inch-wide alternative lifeline pipe that was laid on Monday evening.

The Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), Anshu Manish Khulko, said that hot meals such as Khichdi and Dalia could not be delivered in cylindrical plastic bottles through the 6-inch pipe as something got stuck inside. But now the pipe has been cleared and fruits such as oranges, bananas and medicines were also supplied to the trapped workers on Tuesday.

Multiple agencies are working on the rescue efforts with the NHIDCL.

The tunnel is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Char Dham Highway project of nearly 1,000 kilometers, a multimillion-dollar infrastructure plan to improve connectivity in Uttarakhand and ensure better access to important pilgrimage locations.