Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inspected the site of the under-construction tunnel near Silkyara where a section collapsed, trapping 40 workers. Dhami stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed and assured of all possible assistance.
NHIDCL, the firm building the tunnel, in a report released to media Monday afternoon said that while removal of loose muck continues along with shotcreting (concrete spraying) inside the tunnel, the strategy is to push inside a steel pipe of 900 mm diameter with the help of a hydraulic jack to evacuate the trapped workers.
Authorities provided assurance on Monday that all 40 workers trapped in an under-construction tunnel along the Char Dham route are safe. The workers are receiving food and water as rescue operations continue. The tunnel, part of the construction between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday.