District Magistrate Prashant Arya has ordered an inquiry into the incident, with a focus on whether the construction agency complied with prescribed safety standards.
According to information from sources within the tunnel construction company, it has been reported that water accumulation has been observed inside the Silkyara tunnel.
Asked by reporters, NHIDCL managing director Mahmood Ahmed did not immediately confirm the development but said the last section of the escape pipe was being pushed through the drilled passage.
Campaigners say that while development is needed, the breakneck pace is causing problems, including a surge of unregulated building development replacing forests that helped keep hillsides stable.
