Dozens of construction workers are feared trapped after a road tunnel they were building collapsed in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Rescue efforts are underway to reach the workers, who are believed to be buried beneath piles of debris.

According to the State disaster response official, Durgesh Rathodi, approximately 40 to 41 workers are trapped inside the collapsed tunnel. Oxygen is being supplied through the debris, but the rescue mission is complicated by the continuous incoming rubble obstructing the removal process.

Local media reports suggest that up to 36 people could be trapped in the tunnel, which suffered a partial collapse around 4 am on Sunday as a result of a landslide. The collapse covers nearly 200 meters (14.8 feet) of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) long tunnel, as indicated by media sources.

The incident occurred during a shift change at the Yamunotri national highway in Uttarakhand. Workers were in the process of transitioning, with a group moving out while replacement workers were entering the tunnel.

The tunnel, constructed to connect the holy Hindu shrines of Uttarkashi and Yamnotri, stretches between Silkyara and Dandalgaon. Government rescue teams have released photographs showing extensive piles of concrete obstructing the tunnel, with twisted metal bars protruding from the broken roof.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed his concern and urged prayers for the safe rescue of the trapped workers on social media. Local authorities remain optimistic about the rescue operation but admitted that the duration of the operation is uncertain.

Large infrastructure construction accidents are unfortunately common in India. Earlier this year, hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes in Joshimath town, also located in Uttarakhand state, due to building cracks. In 2021, a glacier breakage in Raini village, Uttarakhand, claimed the lives of over 200 people, mostly construction workers.

The construction of major roads to provide better access to religious sites and the Chinese border, as well as the building of tunnels, has been linked to the occurrence of landslides and glacier bursts in the region. Authorities continue to investigate these incidents and implement measures to mitigate risks in the future.