One dead, 9 trapped as part of tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar highway collapses

A labourer was killed and three rescued after a part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in the union territory’s Ramban district, officials said.

Nine workers continue to be trapped in the debris as rescue operations continue. However, their chances of survival are slim, the officials said.

“Around 10.15 pm on Thursday, the audit tunnel of T3 on the highway near Khooni Nallah in Ramban collapsed, trapping 11-12 labourers of Sarla Company working there,” a senior official told.

The rescue operation on the national highway stretch between Ramban and Ramsu started at midnight and was halted following fresh landslide.

A portion of the mountain fell apart in the Makerkote area at Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Ramban, near the site of the recuse operation, where a part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed late last night.

This fresh landslide has put on hold the search and rescue operations.

District Development Commissioner Mussarat Islam said that the incident was unexpected.

“We were not expecting something like this (an incident where a portion of a mountain falls apart in Makerkote),” he said. Two machines have been stuck under the debris of the landslide.

“Due to wind storms, the rescue operation was impacted. 16-17 hours of operation were wasted. We will have to make a new assessment,” Islam said.

One labourer has been killed, while nine others are feared to be trapped under the debris. Three injured were evacuated yesterday.

Divisional Commissioner of Jammu Ramesh Kumar and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh visited the incident site where a massive rescue operation is underway.
Union minister Jitendra Singh termed the collapse of a part of the tunnel “unfortunate”.

“I am in constant touch with DC Mussrat Islam. Nearly 10 labour workers were trapped under the debris. Another two were rescued and hospitalized with injuries. Rescue operations are going on in full swing. Civil administration and police authorities are monitoring the situation,” he said.

Those trapped inside the tunnel are natives of Jadav Roy (23), Gautam Roy (22), Sudhir Roy (31), Dipak Roy (33) and Parimal Roy (38), all from West Bengal, Shiva Chouhan (26) from Assam, Nepali citizens Nawaraj Chowdhury (26) and Kushi Ram (25), and Jammu and Kashmir residents Muzaffar (38) and Israt (30), officials said.

Two of those hospitalized are identified as Vishnu Gola (33) of Jharkhand and Ameen (26) of Jammu and Kashmir. The third person, whose name has not been disclosed, has been taken to the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu, police said.

All of them were employed by a company tasked with auditing the tunnel, they said.

Deputy Commissioner of Ramban Massaratul Islam and Senior Superintendent of Police Mohita Sharma are at the spot along with the deputy inspector general of police, supervising the rescue operation.

Kumar, the divisional commissioner of Jammu, said the rescue operation is likely to consume more time as rock-breakers are being used to create space in order to reach out to those trapped.

Though officials claimed that the audit tunnel is only three to four metres, Kumar said, “It is not known whether they (those trapped) are inside it or outside the tunnel area. There is debris all-around.” PTI AB AB

Officials said that Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha took stock of the rescue operation and overall situation at a tunnel collapse site in Ramban, Jammu through a video call to Ramban District Commissioner Mussarat Islam.

An official handout said that the Lt Governor also chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials at the Civil Secretariat and discussed the progress of rescue operations.

“The rescue operation was started last night with District Administration, Police, NDRF, SDRF and Army personnel on the ground. The Lt Governor, who is monitoring the situation from a control room, was briefed about intermittent shooting stones, which have been obstructing the rescue operation,” the statement said, adding that the LG expressed concern over the incident and stressed to continue the rescue operation till last person is rescued.