JAMMU: Nine bodies have been recovered from the debris of an under-construction tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway so far. The police has registered a case against construction company under relevant sections of law, officials said on Saturday.
The operation to trace labourers trapped under the debris resumed early on Saturday while one body was recovered and three injured were rescued yesterday after a fresh landslide on Friday evening had forced the rescue teams to suspend the search cum rescue operation.
After a hectic search for almost over six hours, the rescue teams recovered the second body at around 11.30am and they shifted it to a nearby hospital for identification, the officials said, adding, "At around 3.43pm, the rescue teams succeeded in recovering three bodies today."
"At 4.55pm, the rescue workers claimed to have retrieved six bodies from debris so far," officials said.
Search operation resumed today early this morning to search for missing persons near the slide site at Khooni Nallah on NH44 by Army, NDRF, SDRF, police, civil QRTs and civil admin under the overall supervision of Lt Governor J&K Manoj Sinha.
Continuing hectic efforts, the rescue teams using heavy machinery, retrieved nine bodies recovered from the debris site at Khooni Nallah and added they will keep on mission till the last body is found.
Sr superintendent of police (SSP) Ramban Ms Mohita Sharma IPS said, "The rescue teams have retrieved more bodies today after the halted 'rescue operation' resumed today morning."
She said, "So far nine bodies have been recovered from the spot. Out of these nine deceased, five were from West Bengal, one from Assam, two from Nepal and two were local."
"An FIR has been registered for negligence against the construction company," added SSP Ramban Mohita Sharma.
As per NHAI authorities, the additional tunnel of T4 on the highway near Khooni Nallah in Ramban district witnessed a landslide at around 10.15pm on Thursday, after which officials had confirmed that a labourer had died and three others were rescued.
An operation to rescue them was soon launched but had to be suspended on Friday evening due to a fresh landslide and inclement weather. Over 15 rescuers, including the Station House Officer of Ramsu police station, Nayeem-Ul-Haq, had a narrow escape during this landslide.
When contacted deputy commisioner Ramban Musarat-ul-Islam conformed over telephone that nine more bodies have been recovered from the site.
"After we resumed the search operation today early this morning, the second body was recovered from debris after almost six hours and the ninth body was recovered from the debris site at Khooni Nallah at around 4.55pm," he said.
Meanwhile DC Ramban said, "We will continue our rescue operation until the last body will be traced."
