Falling slab kills 21-year-old in Uttarakhand tunnel 3 years after dramatic rescue of 41 workers

2 min readDehradunJul 16, 2026 02:18 PM IST

A portion of the concrete lining inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed on a worker from Jharkhand. (Express Photo)

A 21-year-old worker was killed after a portion of the concrete lining inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand collapsed on him in the early hours of Thursday.

As per the district administration, a block of the tunnel’s concrete lining collapsed about 900 metres inside the Silkyara tunnel from the Barkot side, as construction was ongoing, killing a worker from Jharkhand.

Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Barkot, to conduct an assessment of the situation, ascertain the actual cause of the accident, and thoroughly examine whether the executing agency had complied with the prescribed safety standards.

“Around 2 am on Thursday, a concrete slab fell on the neck of a worker from Jharkhand, who was moving through the tunnel. He was taken to Naugaon Hospital and died during treatment. We have instructed the SDM to initiate the processes for compensation for the bereaved family,” the DM said.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), the implementing agency of the project, has ordered a detailed investigation and is preparing a factual report on the incident. The official cause of the accident and other details will be confirmed only after the inquiry report is received.

2023 tunnel collapse

In 2023, 41 workers were trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel for 17 days during construction after a portion of it collapsed and blocked their way out. In a massive effort that took 17 days, all 41 were rescued.

The tunnel, which is touted to be a fillip for the Char Dham yatra, is being constructed at an estimated cost of around Rs 853 crore and is 4.5 kilometres long with two lanes for bidirectional traffic. According to the government, the construction of the tunnel is expected to reduce the distance between Gangotri Dham and Yamunotri Dham by 26 km, resulting in a reduction of travel time to five minutes, from the current 50 minutes. The NHIDCL is the implementing agency for the project.

The works at the site commenced on July 9, 2018.

Aiswarya Raj is a Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, covering Uttarakhand. She brings sound journalistic experience to her role, having started her career at the organisation as a sub-editor with the Delhi city team. She subsequently developed her reporting expertise by covering Gurugram and its neighbouring districts before transitioning to her current role as a resident correspondent in Dehradun. She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) and the University of Kerala.

She has reported on the state politics, governance, environment and wildlife, and gender. Aiswarya has undertaken investigations using the Right to Information Act on law enforcement, public policy and procurement rules in Uttarakhand. She has also attempted narrative journalism on socio-economic matters affecting local communities.

This specific, sustained focus on critical regional news provides the necessary foundation for high trustworthiness and authoritativeness on topics concerning Uttarakhand. ... Read More

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