Dehradun: As each passing moment brings new worry for 40 trapped miners inside the Uttarkashi tunnel and their kin about the safety of their lives, the prime challenge for the government to supply oxygen, food and water, three basic requirements to sustain trapped workers' lives.
It's been almost 48 hours and the workers are yet to be evacuated though rescuers said on Monday that they have established contact with them. Relief and rescue work is going on at the spot. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also reached the accident site and took stock of the latest situation.
In such a situation, Dr. Vipul Kandwal, a renowned surgeon of Dehradun, suggested immediate measures for the quick and safe evacuation of workers. "The major worry is that they must have been injured inside the dark tunnel. It's very difficult to stay healthy in such a condition for long. It's not possible to assess the level of injury of the workers trapped inside. The first and foremost thing is to ensure supply of oxygen, water and food," Dr Kandwal said.
He further said that removing the debris from the tunnel on a war footing is a must. "Workers can be safeguarded once the debris is removed. At the same time, the extent of injuries will have to be checked according to the condition of the workers after their evacuation from the tunnel. How much impact the tunnel collapse has had on the mental condition of the workers will be known only after the workers come out. Many times internal injuries are more dangerous than external injuries," The physician said.
According to him, rescue should be done as soon as possible. "If people are stuck in the tunnel, then there will be more delay. Shortness of breathing and water scarcity can be hazardous for the health of workers. Anxiety can be another cause of their possible health failure," he added.'
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