After an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhands Uttarkashi on Sunday, search operations are still underway to rescue the trapped workers.Briefing about the rescue operation, loader operator, Mritunjay Kumar told ANI that the team is removing the debris using excavators and other heavy machines.40-45 workers trapped under debrisThe work of mucking is underway. Mucking is being done with the loader & excavator. Approximately 30-35 meters of the tunnel have been broken. The incident happened around 5:30 am. We have information about around 40-45 people being trapped. Everyone is safe, he added.#WATCH | Uttarakhand | The work of mucking is underway. Mucking is being done with the loader & excavator...Approximately 30-35 meters part of the tunnel has been broken. The incident happened around 5:30 am. We have information of around 40-45 people being trapped. Everyone is… https://t.co/NoOyfUYbsS pic.twitter.com/RugQihdf9e— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 12, 2023According to the officials, the SDRF team is leading the rescue operation.Work is underway at a great speed. Everyone is working very hard...We were saddened yesterday because we werent able to communicate with those trapped. But then we were able to communicate with them..., said Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) jawan.#WATCH | Uttarakhand | Work is underway at a great speed. Everyone is working very hard...We were saddened yesterday because we werent able to communicate with those trapped. But then we were able to communicate with them..., says Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Prantiya Rakshak Dal… https://t.co/xf2QYg7MJD pic.twitter.com/PBqLgJ4Tv5— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 12, 2023CM Pushkar Dhami closely monitoring situationTaking notes from the incident, Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami took to his social media to announce that he is personally monitoring the situation closely.CM Dhami tweeted, “Rescue operation is being conducted by the teams of SDRF, NDRF and local police administration to evacuate all the workers safely. After talking to the District Magistrate in this matter, instructions have been given to speed up the rescue mission. I am also monitoring the rescue operation.”उत्तरकाशी के सिल्क्यारा के पास टनल निर्माण के समय हुई दुर्घटना में फँसे श्रमिकों के बचाव हेतु एसडीआरएफ़, एनडीआरएफ़ और प्रदेश प्रशासन की टीमें पूरी ताक़त से जुटी हुई हैं। स्वयं भी रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन पर लगातार नज़र बनाए रखी है। pic.twitter.com/xWfNtOiYtS— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) November 12, 2023Evacuating workers is a priorityEarlier in the day, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela said the priority of the administration is to evacuate workers trapped inside the under-construction tunnel, and rescue operations are ongoing on war footing.The DM, while cancelling the leaves of all the officers of the district, instructed them to immediately report to their respective workplaces and be ready round the clock for relief and rescue operations.
