A 21-year-old worker lost his life in the early hours of Thursday after a portion of the concrete lining inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed on him. The incident occurred about 900 metres inside the Silkyara tunnel from the Barkot side, where construction was ongoing. The victim, a worker from Jharkhand, was moving through the tunnel when a concrete slab fell on his neck.
He was immediately taken to Naugaon Hospital, but unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya has directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Barkot, to conduct an assessment of the situation and ascertain the actual cause of the accident. The SDM has also been instructed to examine whether the executing agency had complied with the prescribed safety standards.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), the implementing agency of the project, has ordered a detailed investigation into the incident and is preparing a factual report. The official cause of the accident and other details will be confirmed only after the inquiry report is received. The district administration has also initiated the processes for compensation for the bereaved family.
This incident is not the first of its kind in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel. In 2023, 41 workers were trapped inside the tunnel for 17 days during construction after a portion of it collapsed and blocked their way out. A massive rescue effort was undertaken, and all 41 workers were eventually rescued.
The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel is being constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 853 crore and is 4.5 kilometres long with two lanes for bidirectional traffic. The tunnel is expected to reduce the distance between Gangotri Dham and Yamunotri Dham by 26 km, resulting in a reduction of travel time to five minutes, from the current 50 minutes. The NHIDCL is the implementing agency for the project, which commenced on July 9, 2018.
