Worker stuck in 70-ft-deep trench in Punjab's Jalandhar for over 24 hours, rescue operation underway

Efforts are underway to rescue a 55-year-old worker stuck in a deep trench for more than 24 hours in Punjab's Jalandhar district, officials said on Sunday, August 13.

The man, identified as Suresh, entered the 60-70-feet trench, dug as part of the ongoing construction for the Delhi-Katra Expressway, on Saturday, August 12.

Suresh and another worker Pawan, entered the trench near Basrampur village on the Kartarpur-Kapurthala Road to free a boring machine that had got stuck underneath.

While Pawan managed to come out, Suresh got trapped after sand fell on him, officials said.

Vipin Sharma, the National Highways Authority of India's regional officer in Chandigarh, said both the workers, having experience in the job, were sent with oxygen cylinders.

All safety protocols were followed, he asserted and added that efforts are on to rescue Suresh.

The trench was dug to erect a pillar as part of the expressway project.

The district administration and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are conducting the operation to rescue Suresh, who hails from Haryana's Jind, the officials said. Soil excavation machines have been pressed into service. A medical team and an ambulance have also been deployed, they said.

Pumps have been deployed to de-water a pond near the site, the officials added.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), Jalandhar, Jasbir Singh confirmed that the rescue operation is underway.

Suresh's brother is present at the site, anxiously waiting for him to be rescued. He said he received information about Suresh getting stuck on Sunday.