Pushkar, Trapped Construction Worker in Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse, Urges Brother Not to Tell Mother

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Sordid tales have emerged of construction workers communicating with their family members from inside the collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi, India. For seven days, these workers have been battling for their lives with no light at the end of the tunnel. The trapped workers’ voices are gradually becoming feeble, and the rescue work was halted on Friday night due to the fear of further collapse.

One construction worker, named Pushkar, who is trapped in the tunnel, pleaded with his brother Vikram Singh not to inform their mother about his situation. According to AFP, Pushkar told his brother over the radio, “Don’t tell Ma that I am one of those stuck here. Mother will be worried if you tell her the truth.”

Outside the tunnel, family members anxiously wait, praying for a breakthrough. In response to their plight, the Uttarakhand government has decided to provide accommodation, food, and health facilities to these family members.

Inside the tunnel, the trapped workers are surviving on light edibles such as chana, kheer, and badam, which are sent to them through a pipe. Maharaj Singh, the brother of a construction worker, expressed his frustration, saying, “I could not talk to my brother. His voice sounded very weak. He was hardly audible. Rescue work in the tunnel has come to a halt. Those trapped are also short of food and water. We have come to the end of our patience. What more can I say?”

Here are the latest updates on the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse:

1. The rescue operation was suspended on Friday after the machine used to drill and push in pipes developed a snag.

2. The auger machine, a US-made device, had drilled up to 24 meters through the rubble spread over a 60-meter area inside the tunnel before a crack was heard, leading to the operation’s suspension.

3. Fumes and vibrations caused the auger machine to be paused frequently during its operation. It was replacing a previous drilling machine with limited capacity.

4. Another drilling machine has been airlifted from Indore to continue the rescue operation.

5. Micro tunnelling expert Chris Cooper has arrived at the site to monitor the rescue operation. Cooper is a consultant for the Rishikesh Karnprayag rail project.

6. Bhaskar Khulbe, former Advisor at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Mangesh Ghildiyal, Deputy Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, visited the Silkyara tunnel on Saturday to assess the situation.

The collapse of a part of the 4,531-meter-long Silkyara Tunnel occurred on October 12, initially trapping 40 workers. However, the number was revised to 41 on Friday, with Deepak Kumar from Bihar being identified as the additional person stuck in the tunnel. The tunnel is part of the Chardham Project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and is being constructed by NHIDCL through Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd at a cost of ₹853.79 crore.

As the rescue operation continues, the families of the trapped workers anxiously await any positive news, hoping for a miracle in the darkness of the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse..