Monday, August 8 2005 15:07 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: Eleven employees of the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) have been trapped inside a tunnel of the Lower Subansiri Hydel Project in Arunachal Pradesh following massive rain-triggered landslides.

NHPC sources at Gerukamukh in Assam, bordering Arunachal Pradesh, told PTI over phone that 11 employees were trapped since 2330 hour last night (August 7, 2005), after heavy landslides blocked the entry to tunnel of the Second Surge at Kolaptukur on the Right Bank of River Subansiri.

A rescue and relief team was immediately deployed last night (August 7, 2005) but heavy rains in the area was hampering work. The debris was expected to be cleared up and employees rescued by late afternoon today (August 8, 2005), sources said.

''There was no immediate danger to the employees trapped inside as the tunnel was nearly 42 metres in length and sufficient oxygen was available,'' the sources added.

However, an Itanagar report, quoting officer in-charge of the Ziro police station, A Rana, said around 40 labourers were feared trapped inside the tunnel.

Rana said that the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police have rushed to the spot, about 200km from the district headquarters of Ziro, but due to road blockade caused by landslides they were held up on their way.

A group of 26 jawans of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) was sent with disaster management equipments from here, police sources said.

Policemen from Assam side have been requested to rush to the spot. Papumpare district police authorities have also been directed to rush a rescue team from Itanagar side.

Telephone links have been cut-off and efforts are on to contact people on the spot through wireless, the report added.