Part of under-construction tunnel in J-K collapses; 3 rescued, 10 trapped

TIL Desk/National/Banihal/A part of an under-construction tunnel has collapsed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, trapping at least 13 labourers, three of whom were rescued, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred late on Thursday night and the rescue operation was in full swing. Officials said the three rescued workers have been admitted to hospitals.

Several machines and trucks have been damaged in the incident. “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 started at midnight and was going on in full swing with rock breakers being used to reach the trapped people, he said, adding one of the three injured have been taken to the Government Medical College hospital in Jammu.

Union minister Jitendra Singh termed the collapse of a part of the under-construction tunnel on the national highway stretch between Ramban and Ramsu “unfortunate”.