The central government has announced the formation of a three-member committee to investigate the Ramban tunnel collapse case after 10 dead bodies were recovered from under the debris.
"The Centre has constituted a Committee of three independent experts to investigate the reasons for recent collapse of under-construction tunnel at Ramban on Jammu-Srinagar Highway and remedial measures. NHAI is taking measures to avoid such incidents in future," National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) retweeted.
The committee comprises IIT-Delhi professor JT Shahu, MD of FGS Consultants Vinod Shukla, and a representative of the DG (BR).
The tunnel, which was under construction, had collapsed, and the bodies of 10 workers were found after a 36-hour-long rescue operation from the under-construction tunnel on Saturday.
The incident took place on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the Makerkote area of Ramban.
Further Action To Be Taken Based on Committee's Report: MORTH
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) took to Twitter to give the details of the incident, stating that the stretch between Khooni Nallah and Digdole was prone to landslides or shooting stones due to weak geology.
On 19 May, between 10:30-11 pm, "landslide and shooting of stones started while the execution of portal support installation work of adit at Khooni Nallah was also being done. Before workers could be moved out, suddenly huge rock mass fell above the false steel portal erected for construction of adit which caved in leading to trapping of 12 workers at that spot," the statement read.
All possible medical care is being provided to the two workers who were rescued and hospitalised, MORTH stated.
A senior official of the Jammu and Kashmir government said that a compensation of Rs 16 lakh would be provided to the families of each of the 10 labourers.
"The injured are also being adequately compensated, and in addition, the UT administration has announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 1 lakh," a statement said.
The cause behind the accident is yet to be ascertained – whether it happened due to natural causes or because work was underway in the region. Further action will be taken on the basis of the report prepared by the committee, the statement concluded.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)