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The rescue effort to free 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, which collapsed on November 12 is nearing completion, and officials anticipating a breakthrough by late Thursday or Friday.
The relatives and the locals of the nearby villages–eagerly waiting for ‘good news’—Thursday carried a ‘doli’ (palanquin) of a local deity to the rescue site and offered prayers for the safety of the workers trapped inside the collapsed tunnel.
News agency PTI posted a video on microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) showing a group of local villagers carrying the ‘doli’ and walking towards the rescue site amid beats of a ‘dhol’ and bells. They can also be heard raising slogans for the deity.
The viral video amassed 35.5k views, 512 likes and several comments and reposts.
Another video posted by the PTI on X shows the locals establishing the temple of the local deity Baba Baukhnag at the rescue site.
Some of the relatives of the trapped worker are stationed there. Jaymal Singh Negi, whose brother is inside the collapsed tunnel, told ANI that the trapped workers are engaged in yoga and exercises inside the tunnel.
“I advised my brother to keep doing yoga, exercise and walking, and he said yes, we are doing it,” Negi said.
Meanwhile, Lt General (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain, a senior member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), warned the people against putting pressure on the rescue teams with their expectations.
The NDMA official, addressing a press conference, said that the trapped workers and the rescuers are at equal risk and expecting the rescue operation to be completed in the “next two hours” exerts pressure on the latter.
“This is challenging work. To keep expecting that the rescue will be done in the next two hours, puts pressure on the workforce. This is wrong. In this situation, both the trapped workers and the rescue team are at risk. We have to take into consideration the safety of both sides,” he said.
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