- November 18, 2023
‘Tunnel tragedy could have been much worse if not for Diwali’ – Times of India
SILKYARA: The tunnel collapse that took place in Uttarkashi on Sunday morning could have been much worse had it happened on a regular day and not on Diwali. Nearly 150 persons would have been stuck inside instead of the current 40, those in the know said.
According to sources at the construction site, there are nearly 300 to 400 workers deployed at the site, working in two shifts.This means that there are 150 to 200 workers inside the tunnel in a singleshift on a given day.
Had the tragedy stuck on a regular day, sources said that there were high chances that a lot more people would have been trapped, making their survival in a limited space a lot more difficult. There could have been casualties as well, the sources added.
The workers who are currently stuck inside the tunnel were finishing their night shift and were just an hour away from shift completion when the collapse happened. Since it was Diwali on Sunday, Saturday night’s shift had seen lean attendance. A few workers were not on leave but skipped work that night.
Mamlesh Rawat, a local from a nearby village was one such worker, who stayed home because of his family’s insistence. He drives a transport vehicle inside the tunnel, carrying construction material. “I feel extremely lucky that I escaped the disaster but at the same time, I’m concerned about the well-being of my fellow workers and praying for their safety,” he said.
Girish, another local who skipped work that day, is more remorseful about the situation than relieved. “I feel so bad that I am outside, all fine, and my fellow workers are suffering inside,” he said. He is also involved in transporting construction material inside the tunnel.
A senior worker, who wished to remain anonymous, was among those who had a lucky escape. He told TOI that he remained home because he was getting a chance to celebrate the festival with his family after a long time. “I appointed another supervisor in my place for that day. It hurts me to see that the workers are suffering inside,” he said.
Another worker who had a close shave, Vikas Yadav from Jharkhand, reported for work, but missed being trapped since he was done with his job for the day and was waiting for his colleagues to come out when the collapse happened. Yadav said that he rushed towards the tunnel as soon as he heard a loud noise due to the collapse, but soon realised that nothing could be done and a massive tragedy had struck.
He’s now helping in the rescue work and communicating with his fellow workers to check on their well-being.
According to sources at the construction site, there are nearly 300 to 400 workers deployed at the site, working in two shifts.This means that there are 150 to 200 workers inside the tunnel in a singleshift on a given day.
Had the tragedy stuck on a regular day, sources said that there were high chances that a lot more people would have been trapped, making their survival in a limited space a lot more difficult. There could have been casualties as well, the sources added.
The workers who are currently stuck inside the tunnel were finishing their night shift and were just an hour away from shift completion when the collapse happened. Since it was Diwali on Sunday, Saturday night’s shift had seen lean attendance. A few workers were not on leave but skipped work that night.
Mamlesh Rawat, a local from a nearby village was one such worker, who stayed home because of his family’s insistence. He drives a transport vehicle inside the tunnel, carrying construction material. “I feel extremely lucky that I escaped the disaster but at the same time, I’m concerned about the well-being of my fellow workers and praying for their safety,” he said.
Girish, another local who skipped work that day, is more remorseful about the situation than relieved. “I feel so bad that I am outside, all fine, and my fellow workers are suffering inside,” he said. He is also involved in transporting construction material inside the tunnel.
A senior worker, who wished to remain anonymous, was among those who had a lucky escape. He told TOI that he remained home because he was getting a chance to celebrate the festival with his family after a long time. “I appointed another supervisor in my place for that day. It hurts me to see that the workers are suffering inside,” he said.
Another worker who had a close shave, Vikas Yadav from Jharkhand, reported for work, but missed being trapped since he was done with his job for the day and was waiting for his colleagues to come out when the collapse happened. Yadav said that he rushed towards the tunnel as soon as he heard a loud noise due to the collapse, but soon realised that nothing could be done and a massive tragedy had struck.
He’s now helping in the rescue work and communicating with his fellow workers to check on their well-being.
