Monitor News Desk
Rescue operations resumed on Saturday to locate the nine labourers who went missing after a tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in the Makerkote area of Ramban district collapsed on Thursday evening.
On Friday, a portion of a mountain fell apart near the site of a rescue operation following the collapse of an under-construction tunnel late Thursday night.
The operations resumed at 5.30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
“We were not expecting something like this. Two machines got stuck. Due to wind storms, rescue operation was impacted. 16-17 hours of operation was wasted. Have to make a new assessment,” Deputy Commissioner of Ramban Massaratul Islam said.
Three labourers were rescued alive and one body was recovered on Friday.
Authorities said the chances of survival for the nine trapped labourers are grim because of the possibility of suffocation inside the collapsed portion of the tunnel located in the Khoni Nallah area.
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha said that he was personally monitoring the rescue operation.
