160 hours on, hope lurks for workers trapped in tunnel

Fending for life after the tunnel for the Kiratpur-Manali four-lane road project collapsed on September 12, Tomar requested Bilaspur Deputy Commissioner Manasi Sahay Thakur to inform his family and his companion’s family about their well-being.

Thakur spoke to Tomar through a microphone linked with a webcam. Rescuers had on Wednesday night managed to establish contact with two trapped workers – Mani Ram and Tomar. However, the whereabouts of the third worker, <g data-gr-id="27">Hirdya</g> Ram, are not yet known.  Both are being given food items through a pipe since then, officials said.

The deputy commissioner said the rescue operation was in progress and that they would be rescued soon. 

“We are all with you. Don’t worry. Your family is also awaiting your early rescue. I will personally convey your message to them,” she said in her conversation with the trapped workers.

She said vertical digging of the tunnel was on to rescue the survivors. “I am told that the digging will take a day or two to reach out to the survivors. But we are hopeful of rescuing them in another 24 hours,” she said.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have been deployed for the rescue operation.