Uttarkashi: Rescue operations to bring out 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara collapsed tunnel entered the 15th day on Sunday. While there was no movement in the last 24 hours in the drilling work to rescue the 41 trapped workers due to a technical snag, the vertical drilling of the tunnel is expected to resume by this afternoon. Reports indicated that the drilling machine has arrived at the rescue site, a day after the American auger broke down beyond repair.
Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force said it flew in critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun for the rescue work. “Responding with alacrity to the requirements of the ongoing rescue operation, late last evening the IAF flew in critical DRDO equipment to Dehradun,” it said.
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.
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