Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand), Nov 12: A portion of a tunnel under construction between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway in Uttarkashi district collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, trapping around 40 workers inside, police said.

They said the incident occurred around 4 am when a 150-metre-long portion of the four-and-a-half-kilometer-long tunnel collapsed.

As soon as information about the incident was received, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi immediately reached the spot and launched a relief and rescue operation, police added.

National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, fire brigade and employees of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the organisation that is constructing the tunnel, are at the spot as well, they said.

With the construction of this all-weather tunnel under the Char Dham Road Project, the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dham will be reduced by 26 kilometres.

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Bengaluru: In a major crackdown on drug trafficking and illegal narcotics trade, Bengaluru City Police have arrested 16 accused persons and seized narcotic substances worth Rs 36.67 crore.

According to Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, those arrested include four foreign nationals, eight persons from other states and four locals. Police said the network had interstate as well as international links.

Police recovered 9 kg 64 grams of MDMA, 5 kg 195 grams of hydro ganja, 19,755 LSD strips, 156 grams of heroin, 618 grams of charas, 332 grams of cocaine, 315 grams of drug-mixed gummies and 11 kg 470 grams of ganja from the accused.

The Commissioner said the action was carried out as part of a major anti-drug operation in the city. The network was busted with the support of the CCB Narcotics Control Squad and police stations of Bagaluru, Adugodi, Chikkajala, HSR Layout, Yeshwanthpur, Jalahalli and Jnanabharathi.

Cases were registered in CCB, East Division and West Division police stations based on specific intelligence received on different dates, following which raids were conducted.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were procuring drugs at lower prices from foreign, interstate and local sources and selling them in Bengaluru at higher rates.

Police said college students and working professionals were among the main targets of the accused.