Bhopal | Jagran News Desk: Nine people – all labourers – were trapped after an under-construction tunnel of the Bargi canal project collapsed at Sleemanabad in the Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. So far, seven people have been rescued, however, two labourers still remain trapped inside the rubble.
The officials said six of the rescued labourers were rushed to the Katni district hospital, located about 30 km from the spot, via a ‘green corridor’. The ‘green corridor’ is a special cleared out route for fast transportation in case of an emergency.
They have said that the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) team is at the spot to conduct the rescue operation. Katni collector Priyank Mishra said the SDRF had arrived from Jabalpur, adding that the incident took place late on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajesh Rajora said he is monitoring the rescue operation. “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,” Rajora told PTI.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on the other hand, has taken stock of the situation and inquired about the rescue operation in Katni. On Saturday, he also spoke to the district collector and the superintendent of police (SP) over the incident and directed officials to make arrangements for providing treatment to the injured labourers.
“I am saddened by the incident in Katni. Till now, three out of the nine workers have been safely evacuated. Relief and rescue work is on,” he said in a Tweet in Hindi. “A team of the district administration is on the spot and SDRF team has also reached there for assistance. I am in touch with the administration. I pray to God that everyone is safe.”
