Asia

India tunnel collapse kills 14 construction workers

A tunnel under construction in India has collapsed, killing at least 14 workers, authorities said. A rescue operation is under way to reach anyone still trapped inside, but hazardous conditions have hampered efforts to reach them. Officials have not detailed how many workers remain unaccounted for.

A dimly lit tunnel construction site with heavy machinery and debris.
A dimly lit tunnel construction site with heavy machinery and debris.Photo: Daniel Ponomarev / Pexels
BBC Asia3 h ago

A tunnel under construction in India collapsed, leaving at least 14 workers dead, authorities confirmed. Emergency crews rushed to the site as families and colleagues gathered nearby awaiting word on those who had been working inside when the structure gave way. The precise point and cause of the collapse have not yet been fully established.

Rescue teams have been working to reach the collapse site, but unstable rubble and the risk of further cave-ins have repeatedly slowed their progress. Officials said crews are proceeding cautiously, aware that hasty digging could endanger both rescuers and anyone who might still be alive beneath the debris. It remains unclear how many workers are still unaccounted for, and searchers are treating the site with particular care as a result.

The disaster has renewed scrutiny of safety standards at tunnel and infrastructure projects across India, where large-scale construction has expanded rapidly in recent years. Authorities have not said when the rescue operation might conclude, and the full circumstances of the collapse remain under investigation. Crews on site are also working to stabilise the surrounding debris, which has limited access to parts of the area.

GeopoliticsAsiaBBC Asia
Source: BBC Asia
This article is an AI-curated summary of the original story published by BBC Asia. The illustration is a stock photo by Daniel Ponomarev from Pexels and is not from the original story.

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