Uttarakhand Tunnel in India has collapsed as a result of a landslide which left 40 workers trapped but efforts to have them rescued has been ongoing.

This was revealed by Rajesh Pawar, the Project Manager at the Navyug Construction Company which is overseeing the tunnel’s construction. He said that, a number of workers were trapped by a landslip at the construction site in northern India on Sunday, November 12, 2023.

Pawar noted that, the trapped workers were constructing a section of the Chardham all-weather road, a major federal government project that connects various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

He further said that, authorities had began pumping oxygen through a pipe into the collapsed section of the tunnel on Sunday, to help workers breathe, adding that, some rescuers had already begun digging.

According to the Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police, Arpan Yaduvanshi, personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and police responded to the scene immediately they received information about the collapse, and operations to have the trapped workers rescued commenced.

Prashant Kumar, a police officer said that, all of the construction workers are safe, adding that they have been supplied with oxygen and water for the meantime.

“The team was able to move 15 meters (yards) into the tunnel, with a total of 35 meters (yards) to cover,” Kumar stated.

A statement from officials indicates that, the collapsed section of the 4.5-kilometer (2.7-mile) tunnel is about 200 meters (500 feet) from the entrance.

Uttarakhand is a mountainous State popular with pilgrims and tourists for its Hindu temples. However, massive building and road construction has occurred in Uttarakhand in recent years.