J&K tunnel collapses; 1 dead, 9 trapped

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, May 20

One worker was killed, nine were feared trapped and two rescued after an under-construction tunnel collapsed on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Ramban last evening.

An audit tunnel of the T3 project collapsed near Khooni Nullah area around 10.15 pm yesterday, sources said.

Ramban Deputy Commissioner Mussarat Islam said one body had been found so far. “The operation continues and we have not lost hope of rescuing more persons,” he said. The operation would not be called off till all missing persons were traced, he said.

Those missing are Jadav Roy (23), Gautam Roy (22), Dipak Roy (33) and Parimal Roy (38) from West Bengal; Shiva Chowhan (26) from Assam; Nawaraj Chowdhury (26) and Kushi Ram (25) from Nepal; Muzaffar (38) and Israt (30), a local resident.

The deceased has been identified as Sudhir Roy (30).

Jammu Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar said huge boulders had blocked the tunnel. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the civil and police authorities were “monitoring the situation constantly.”

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting at the Civil Secretariat and discussed rescue measures with officers.