Five youths hailing from Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri district have gone missing since Thursday as a slide occurred in a tunnel that was under construction along the Jammu-Kashmir highway.

According to PTI, a part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in the Ramban district on Thursday night.

The five missing youths are Parimal Roy, Dipak Roy and Sudhir Roy, all residents of Charcharabari of the block, and Jadab Roy and Gautam Roy who are from Paschim Mallickpara of the same block.

“We have come to know about the incident. All five of them have gone missing in the tunnel. Our officers are visiting their households and gathering information. We are in touch with police officers of Kashmir,” said Debarshi Dutta, the superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri.

The families of these workers are perturbed as since Thursday evening, they could not contact them.

“Their cell phones are not working. The parents are worried. We are eagerly waiting to know their condition,” said Santosh Roy, an uncle of Gautam Roy, who is from Paschim Mallickpara.

All five of them, the families said, went to Kashmir earlier this month.

“We have another relative who was working with them. He didn’t go to work yesterday evening. Today morning, he called us and informed us about the incident. We are in contact with him,” said Sunil Roy, the brother-in-law of Jadab Roy who has also gone missing.