Union Minister VK Singh reviews rescue operation at Uttarkashi Tunnel collapse site

UTTARKASHI (Uttarakhand): As relief and rescue operations in the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse incident are under way, Union Minister and former Army chief General V K Singh took stock of the operation on Thursday and said, “We are trying our best.”

“The rescue operation is under way; we have full hope. We are trying our best”, General V K Singh said after arriving at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.

An under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed in the early hours of November 12. According to sources, after the rescue operation, the workers will be taken to Rishikesh AIIMS for treatment.

“The installation work of the machines airlifted from Delhi has been done and the rescue operation work is under way,” Anshu Manish Khulko, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Tunnel Project Director, said.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi Tunnel Accident | Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) says, "Our people are trapped in the space of 2 km. In this gap, there is light, and we are sending food and water… Our priority is to rescue them sooner. Efforts are being made for this… All the… pic.twitter.com/ddTDBCpFV4

— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023

Dharam Singh, father of one of the labourers trapped inside, said that he spoke to his son and gave him courage. “My 20-year-old son Vijay Kumar is trapped inside the tunnel. I spoke to my son for a little while and I gave him courage and assured him that everything will be fine and he would be brought out by this evening. Food and water are being provided to him in small quantities”, Dharam Singh said.

The officials of the NHIDCL are confident of completing the rescue operation successfully today. “We have the support of the administration… We will succeed in this (rescue process). The machine is 99.99 per cent installed. I want to inform everyone not to get misled… Everyone is fine; they don’t need medical help. But still, the medical team is here…” NHIDCL PRO Girdharilaal said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the ongoing relief and rescue operations in the tunnel under construction in Silkyara of Uttarkashi. A portion of the tunnel that is being constructed between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway collapsed in the early hours of Sunday following a landslide, trapping 40 workers inside. (ANI)