Contact with people trapped after a tunnel collapse in India

Contact with people trapped after a tunnel collapse in India

After the partial collapse of a tunnel in northern India, rescuers managed to contact around 40 buried workers. They are fine, a spokesperson for the Civil Protection Agency (NDRF) said on Monday, according to local media. The people inside also received water and food. Rescue teams are still about 35 meters away from the buried victims.

The accident occurred on Sunday morning, around 200 meters from the entrance to the motorway tunnel, for reasons that are not yet clear. Helpers had to make their way through mountains of rubble and rubble, he said. Heavy machinery is also in use.

The approximately 4.5 kilometer long tunnel is being built near the small town of Uttarkashi in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. An Indian government statement on the project states that the aim is to reduce travel times in the region while protecting the environment, as no trees would have to be felled.