9 workers feared trapped as under-construction tunnel collapses in J&K after landslide

Mangalore Today News Network

Srinagar, May 20, 2022: A sudden landslide in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban last night trapped labourers in an under-construction tunnel and an operation has been launched at the site near the Khooni Nala to rescue them.

 

Nine workers are believed to be stuck under the debris and the personnel of the 15th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) along with a sniffer dog have joined the rescue ops. Earth movers have been deployed to clear heavy boulders from the site fully covered with debris.

Around 10:15 pm on Thursday, the audit tunnel to another tunnel T4 on the highway collapsed, trapping nearly a dozen labourers working there. At the time of the incident, only around four meters of digging was done for the tunnel, a new project.

Several trucks, excavators and other vehicles have been completely damaged in the landslide. Of the nine trapped, five are from West Bengal, one from Nepal, one from Assam and two are locals. Three workers injured in the landslide were rescued earlier.

A body was retrieved from the debris today. The victim has been identified to be from West Bengal.

Around 4:40 pm, a fresh landslide and rain at the spot halted the rescue efforts. The operations had to be stopped several times due to boulders and stones shooting down the slopes.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha is constantly monitoring the situation in Ramban. He also chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials at the civil secretariat and discussed the progress of rescue operations.

The rescue operation began last night with district, police and Army personnel on the ground. The Lt Governor was briefed about the intermittent shooting stones obstructing the rescue operation. Expressing concern over the incident, Manoj Sinha said that operations will continue on war footing until the last person is rescued.

The Lt Governor has also directed senior officials to supervise the rescue operations.

The Khooni Nala, near which a tunnel was being dug near Mekarkot, Ramban, is known for the alarming number of people killed in road accidents in the past.

Courtesy: India Today