Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: PM Modi dials CM Dhami as rescue ops to save trapped workers cross 1-week mark

Road, Transport, and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain reiterated the government's commitment to safely rescue all laborers, mentioning the dispatch of multivitamins, antidepressants, and dried fruits to aid the workers.

As the week-long efforts to rescue 41 trapped laborers in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi persist, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a telephonic conversation with Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, seeking updates on the ongoing relief and rescue operations.

The Chief Minister's Office conveyed PM Modi's assurance, stating, "PM Modi said that necessary rescue equipment and resources are being provided by the Central Government. The workers will be evacuated safely with mutual coordination between central and state agencies. There is a need to maintain the morale of the stranded workers."

Amid the complex rescue operation, officials have installed a 6-inch pipeline spanning approximately 40 meters to supply food and water to the workers confined within the tunnel. Progress was briefly paused on Sunday as agencies prepared for the subsequent phase, intending to explore alternative methods to reach the 41 individuals.

Highlighting the extensive efforts, officials detailed the construction of a hilltop road within a single day to facilitate the creation of a vertical shaft leading down into the tunnel.

Simultaneously, the Tehri Hydroelectric Development Corporation announced plans to initiate "micro tunneling" from the Barkot end of the Char Dham route's under-construction tunnel—a section of which collapsed on November 12.

Road, Transport, and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain reiterated the government's commitment to safely rescue all laborers, mentioning the dispatch of multivitamins, antidepressants, and dried fruits to aid the workers.

Jain outlined the strategy and said, "Five options were decided and five different agencies were detailed to carry out these options. 5 agencies namely Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited(RVNL), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDCL) have been assigned responsibilities."