Sikyara tunnel collapse: Police officer says work was proceeding normally, rescue operations continue

The first police officer from Uttarakhand to arrive at the scene of the Sikyara tunnel collapse reported that work on the under-construction tunnel was proceeding according to his inspection last month.

Head Constable Suresh Kumar, who is stationed at Genwala Police Post under Dharasu Police Station in the Uttarkashi district, told PTI that he was the first police responder to learn about the collapse after receiving a call on his cell phone from a site engineer.

"I was having a bath at approximately eight in the morning when I received the call. "I arrived at the location on my motorcycle with a junior staff member right away," said Kumar, a Pauri Garhwal native who has spent the past 1.5 years working at the Genwala Police Post, which is located around 10 kilometers from the Silkyara tunnel.

Kumar claimed to have examined the tunnel a month ago.

The excavation of the two-kilometer tunnel proceeded without incident. Such an event seemed unimaginable to me. In addition, a separating wall supported the frame," he said.

Although the administration and police were notified a little later, Kumar said that the event occurred at around 5:30 am.

Upon arriving at the location, I saw debris 200 meters within the tunnel obstructing the entrance. After I alerted my superiors at the police station, a rescue squad showed up.

In order to provide an escape route for the 41 workers who have been trapped within the Silkyara tunnel for more than ten days, drilling with the American auger equipment continued overnight, according to authorities on Wednesday.

Officials report that up to 32 meters of 800 diameter steel pipes have already been placed through the debris.

Tuesday night, workers confined inside were served vegetarian pulao, matar-paneer, and butter-topped chapatis via a feeding tube inserted through the crumbled portion of the building.

The workers received 150 packets of supper, which was cooked under the supervision of a doctor and had less oil and spices to make it easier to stomach.

The 6-inch-wide pipeline made it easier for the rescuers to take the first images of the stranded workers in days. According to officials, the images, which were captured using an endoscopic flexi camera, showed that the workers were doing well.

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