A tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand, India, trapped 41 workers for an extended period before all were rescued, prompting a regional tunnel safety audit.
Key Facts
- Workers trapped
- 41
- Workers rescued
- 41 (all)
- Collapse time
- Approximately 05:30 IST
- Tunnel name
- Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel
- Highway served
- National Highway 134
- State
- Uttarakhand, India
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel was under construction in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand to connect National Highway 134. On 12 November 2023, at approximately 05:30 IST, a section of the tunnel caved in during active construction work, creating debris conditions that complicated early rescue attempts.
The collapse trapped 41 workers inside the tunnel. Multiple government agencies—including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Uttarakhand Police, Indian Army Corps of Engineers, and the Border Roads Organisation's Project Shivalik—launched rescue operations. Australian tunnelling experts were also brought in. Ultimately, 'rat-hole' miners used manual techniques to push an access pipe through the debris to reach the trapped workers.
All 41 trapped workers were successfully rescued. The incident prompted authorities to launch a safety audit of other tunnels in the surrounding region, drawing attention to construction safety standards in Himalayan infrastructure projects.