Uttarkashi: Rescue operations to bring out 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara collapsed tunnel entered the 14th day on Saturday. The last pipe to prepare an escape passage for trapped workers is being pushed in through rubble in the final stage of operation. However, the rescue operation was again halted due to a technical snag.
Arrangements have been made to provide immediate medical care to workers after they are evacuated. The drilling of 800 mm diameter steel pipes through the rubble had hit a minor hurdle late Wednesday when some iron rods came in the way of the auger machine.
Agencies such as NDRF, SDRF, BRO, NHIDCL, and ITBP have joined forces to conduct the rescue operations for the trapped workers, and an American auger machine is being used to drill a tunnel into the rubble to rescue the men eventually.
These workers have been trapped inside an area, measuring 8.5 meters in height and 2 kilometers in length, after a collapse occurred in the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. Among 41 trapped, 15 workers hail from Jharkhand. The state government is planning to airlift all 15 who are from Giridih, Ranchi, East Singhbhum, and Khunti districts of Jharkhand.
Union Minister General VK Singh arrived at the Silkyara tunnel site in helicopter where rescue efforts to take out trapped workers. Chief Scientist and tunnel expert from Roorkee, RD Dwivedi arrived at Silkyara tunnel site. Dwivedi said, “A total of three people have come here from CIMFR Roorkee. We are tunnelling experts and we will take an update of the rescue operation going on here.”
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