Seven Out Of Nine Labourers Rescued From Underground Tunnel In Madhya Pradesh

Seven out of nine labourers trapped in the collapsed under-construction tunnel in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh have been rescued so far, the administration said on Sunday.

Katni collector Priyank Mishra tweeted that the rescue operation is going on continuously to remove the labourers. (Photo: Twitter/@CollectorKatni)

New Delhi: Seven out of nine labourers trapped in the collapsed under-construction tunnel in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh have been rescued so far, the administration said on Sunday. The labourers were trapped after the under-construction tunnel of the Bargi underground canal caved in at Sleemanabad, Katni, Madhya Pradesh, and rescue operations are on, officials said, according to media reports.

With the help of a State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) team, which arrived from Jabalpur, the rescue operation is underway to rescue the remaining labourers. 

The SDERF and local officials are trying to safely recover the labourers. 

Katni collector Priyank Mishra said that the SDERF team arrived from Jabalpur, according to an ANI report.

The collector tweeted that the rescue operation is going on continuously to remove the labourers.

On late Saturday evening, the incident took place.

Madhya Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora, who is monitoring the rescue operation from the state secretariat, told the Press Trust of India (PTI): "The SDERF team with the necessary equipment is trying to reach the labourers by digging a shaft. The district collector and the SP are camping at the site to supervise the rescue operation.”

Sleemanabad Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sangh Mitra Gautam said that the trapped labourers were responding to calls from rescue personnel, according to a PTI report. 

Taking cognizance of the incident in Sleemanabad, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sought information about the incident from the Katni collector, in a conversation over the phone. 

कटनी जिले के स्लीमनाबाद में नहर के निर्माण कार्य के दौरान श्रमिकों के दबने के समाचार से दु:ख हुआ।

यह राहत की बात है कि 9 में से 3 श्रमिकों को सकुशल बाहर निकाल लिया गया है। राहत और बचाव कार्य जारी है। https://t.co/ICfmjW2zU0

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) February 12, 2022

Chouhan is constantly in touch with the Katni district administration and is taking information about the rescue operation, the ANI report said.

He has instructed for proper treatment of those injured.