The father of a worker trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand has expressed his anguish and vowed to never allow his son to work there again. The worker, along with 40 others, has been stuck in the tunnel for two weeks. The father, who had already lost another son in an accident in Mumbai, is now anxiously waiting for the safe return of his second son.
The distraught father, a farm laborer from Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, spoke about his concerns for his family’s survival if anything were to happen to his only remaining son. He expressed frustration at the slow progress of the rescue work and the uncertainty of the situation.
The trapped worker, named Manjeet, is 22 years old and is among the 41 workers stuck inside the collapsed tunnel. The father, who arrived at the site a day after the incident, communicated with his son through a channel set up by the authorities. Despite the challenging circumstances, the father encouraged his son to remain brave and assured him of a successful rescue.
The family of the trapped workers has been provided with a camp outside the tunnel by the administration. They are allowed to communicate with the trapped workers on a daily basis. However, the rescue efforts faced a setback when the drilling machine malfunctioned, delaying the creation of an escape passage. A plasma cutter from Hyderabad is now being used to remove the auger blades stuck in the rubble, and vertical drilling equipment has been set up to reach the trapped workers.
The father highlighted the financial difficulties faced by his family, revealing that they had taken a loan against his wife’s jewelry to come to the site. However, he expressed gratitude towards the administration for providing him with essential items and repaying his loan.
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