Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated on Monday that efforts are underway to rescue the workers who are stuck in the tunnel, with a primary focus on ensuring their safety. All workers would be quickly evacuated.
Rescuers at the Silkyara tunnel collapse site made a huge breakthrough on the ninth day of operations when they managed to route a six-inch-wide pipeline through the collapsed section’s debris, trapping 41 laborers as of right now.
The workers who were stranded were able to receive hot Khichdi for the first time since they were imprisoned because to this six-inch lifeline.
It was revealed on November 12 that a tunnel that was being built to connect Silkyara and Barkot had collapsed. 41 laborers were trapped in the event as a result of muck falling in a 60-meter section on the Silkyara side of the tunnel.
As per official statements, the laborers are stranded in a completed 2-kilometer tunnel section that includes concrete work designed to guarantee the workers’ safety.
“The ongoing rescue operation in the Silkyara Tunnel is moving along quickly; I’m in constant communication with the officials involved.” Restarting the auger machine has resulted in the completion of 45 meters of drilling. Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister, said on social media that “both vertical and horizontal drilling options are being pursued through equipment procured by the Central Government.”
An official from the road and roads ministry working in the activities, Mahmood Ahmad, told reporters at the scene, “If there is no blockage, we hope there could be happy news late tonight or tomorrow.”
Here are the latest updates
1. Up to yet, rescue teams have installed steel pipes up to 45 meters into the escape route. Once the pipe is put, the imprisoned workers will be able to crawl out because it is just under a meter wide.
2. With the assistance of NDRF and SDRF, an audio communication system has been made for the stranded workers. According to Chief Minister Dhami, doctors are forcing everyone to consult with them.
uttarkashi tunnel collapse“Taking into consideration the employees’ mental well-being, they are also being forced to consult a psychiatrist. Our first focus is the welfare of our employees,” he tweeted further.
3. Near the entrance, ambulances are kept ready. At the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur, a 41-bed hospital was also prepared on Wednesday.
4. The rescue operations have been sluggish, made more difficult by falling debris and recurring malfunctions of vital heavy-drilling equipment. The massive earth-boring equipment that was first in operation ran into boulders last week. After rescuers were startled by a breaking sound in the roof, drilling was halted for over three days.
5. In the event that the intended pipe rescue technique is unsuccessful, blasting and drilling have also started from the far end of the incomplete tunnel. However, this will need about a half-kilometer of excavation. Additionally, preparations have been undertaken for the dangerous vertical shaft right overhead.
6. On Tuesday, the men were initially observed alive as they looked through an endoscopic camera that rescuers had supplied. For the last eleven days, they have received food, drink, electricity, and air.
7. In the meantime, almost two dozen tunnels that are now under construction will undergo a safety evaluation by the Indian National Highways Authority.