• Source:JND
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Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: As six days have passed since 40 labourers were trapped inside the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand, the relatives of the workers said that the voice of the trapped labourers is getting weaker and their strength is seemingly dimming. The under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route collapsed on Sunday morning with around 40 labourers inside it.

As the hours tick up, the desperation of the family members waiting outside is also mounting. The health condition of the men counting the hours inside the dark tunnel is worsening, and his family back home is getting increasingly panicky, said Haridwar Sharma, whose younger brother Sushil is among those inside the tunnel.

"All we are getting are assurances from authorities that the trapped labourers will be rescued. It has been nearly a week," Sharma, who is from Bihar's Rohtas district, told PTI.

"There is no work going on inside the tunnel. Neither the company nor the government is doing anything. The company says a machine is on the way," he added tearfully.

Among those waiting are the family of Gabbar Singh Negi. His two brothers, Maharaj Singh and Prem Singh, and his son, Akash Singh, have been camping outside. According to the news agency PTI, the family belongs to Kotdwar. Maharaj said that he spoke to Gabbar via a pipe used for suppying oxygen, and his voice sounded feeble.

Maharaj said he spoke to Gabbar through a pipe used for supplying oxygen and his voice sounded very feeble. "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?" Maharaj told PTI.

Their brother Prem said the trapped workers are beginning to lose hope. "Gabbar said he was alright, but his voice is feebler now. They are getting light edibles like chana, kheer and badam. How long can they sustain on this? Work has been stalled for 30-32 hours inside the tunnel," Prem said.

According to the officials, a high-performance drilling machine has been airlifted from Indore, landed at Dehradun's Jollygrant airport, and is being taken by road to Silkyara, where it will be unloaded and assembled before being deployed for drilling.

On Friday, the Auger machine engaged in the drilling work stopped functioning after it hit a rock face. However, the machine started working again in the afternoon. 

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting with senior officials on Saturday and announced that the state government would provide accommodation, food, and health facilities to the families of the workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel, located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road.

According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "Chief Minister Dhami said that the state government will provide accommodation, food, and health facilities to the families of the workers."

(With input from agencies)