Live Updates on Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue
Live Updates on Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami declares the successful completion of pipe-laying, signaling the imminent commencement of worker evacuation.
Ambulances and emergency vehicles are positioned and ready near the entrance of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel as part of the ongoing rescue operation for workers trapped following a section collapse. This incident occurred in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state, India, on November 28.
Live Updates on Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Experts in rat-hole mining are actively involved in the rescue mission for the 41 workers trapped in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. They began manual drilling through the debris on Monday, and the latest reports indicate successful completion of manual horizontal drilling. The workers are expected to be rescued shortly.
At approximately 1:30 pm on Tuesday, Bansi Dhar Tiwari, from the state government’s information department, reported the successful completion of drilling. Shortly thereafter, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to social media to confirm the installation of the escape pipe into the drilled passage, expressing optimism about the imminent evacuation of all workers.
A team of at least 12 rat-hole mining experts was assigned the crucial task of horizontally drilling through the last 10 to 12 meters of debris in the section that collapsed within the under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route in Uttarakhand. This alternative drilling method was employed following an incident on Friday where a large auger machine became stuck. As of now, approximately 40 percent of the required 86-meter vertical drilling has been successfully accomplished.
The rescue operation has made significant progress, with the pipe needing to be pushed an additional two meters to reach the 41 workers who have been trapped in the Silkyara tunnel for 16 days, as stated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Officials have indicated that the evacuation operation is expected to take place overnight.
At the disaster site, Bansi Dhar Tiwari, the chief of the state government’s information department, informed reporters a little after 1:30 pm that the drilling process was completed.
Less than an hour later, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced on social media that the process of laying the escape pipe into the drilled passage was complete, expressing confidence that all trapped workers would soon be rescued. However, earlier, NHIDCL Managing Director Mahmood Ahmed did not immediately confirm the completion of the drilling work, stating that the last section of the pipe was still being pushed through.
During a 4 pm media briefing in Delhi, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata mentioned that the rescue workers were on the verge of a breakthrough but hadn’t quite reached it. He informed that the rat-hole mining experts, manually drilling through the last stretch, had reached the 58-meter point, with approximately two more meters to go.
Lieutenant General (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, a Member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), emphasized the importance of implementing all safety precautions during the rescue operation. He cautioned against making premature announcements, highlighting that such actions would be against established principles. He underscored the need to prioritize the safety and security of both the rescuers and the trapped workers, emphasizing that there was no rush in the operation.
Live Updates on Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Ambulances are being dispatched with provisions, including food, for the trapped workers. Vikas Rana, Assistant HR at Navayuga Engineering Company Limited, the Hyderabad-based company overseeing the tunnel construction, mentioned that today’s menu includes aloo gobhi, roti, dal, and rice.
Live Updates on Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: A temporary medical facility has been set up inside the tunnel. Following the evacuation of the trapped workers, health check-ups will be conducted at this facility. The health department has arranged 8 beds, and a team of doctors and experts are on standby in case of any health issues.
Live Updates on Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Timeline of the Traditional Manual Drilling as the Final Rescue Aid:
- Workers were trapped behind a 60m debris wall in the Silkyara tunnel.
- The augur machine was damaged and had to be removed by cutting.
- Simultaneously, vertical drilling commenced from the top of the mountain.
- The manual horizontal drilling for the rescue began yesterday as a substitute for the augur machine.