Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Drilling To Rescue Trapped Workers To Restart At 9 AM - Top Developments

Rescue operations to evacuate 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district entered the thirteenth day on Friday. Officials believe the operation is likely to be over by today.

Officials involved in the rescue operation emphasized the immense challenges and complexities of the undertaking, drawing a parallel to the intensity of a battlefield. They highlighted that providing a specific timeline for the rescue efforts would be unwarranted and could only serve to add pressure to the dedicated workforce already operating tirelessly under adverse conditions.

"At present, many experts are offering their predictions about potential rescue timings, citing today evening or tomorrow morning. However, it's crucial to acknowledge that rescue operations in situations like these are akin to warfare. Assigning a specific timeline might not align with the unpredictable nature of such operations. In warfare, the enemy's reactions remain uncertain, and in this context, the Himalayan geology poses as an unpredictable adversary. The exact angles and points of collapse within the tunnel remain undisclosed," stated Lt. General (Rtd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), during a press conference.

Here are the Top developments so far:

• On Thursday, drilling work was halted after a technical snag in the Auger drilling machine. Till now, rescuers have drilled up to 46.8 meters in the Silkyara tunnel. The drilling expected to restart again at 9 am.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami opted to spend the night in Uttarkashi overseeing the ongoing rescue operations at the Silkyara Tunnel. Setting up a temporary camp office on-site ensures an uninterrupted focus on the rescue efforts without hindering his regular duties.
• Atul Karwal, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief, assured readiness, stating that exhaustive rehearsals have been conducted to ensure the safe extraction of individuals. "Our team will enter first... We've equipped stretchers with wheels to facilitate the evacuation process, enabling us to bring out individuals one by one," Karwal explained.
• Considering various strategies, rescuers contemplated the possibility of guiding workers to crawl out individually from the opposite end. However, the physical toll of enduring twelve days under debris without natural light and adequate meals might impede their ability to undertake such demanding tasks.
• As outlined by officials, the NDRF personnel will maneuver stretchers, each worker lying on one, using ropes to pull them out. Karwal emphasized the cleaning of the rescue pipeline from the tunnel's mouth to ensure unobstructed movement of the stretchers, prioritizing the workers' safe evacuation.
• On November 12, the labourers got trapped as portions of the Silkyara-Dandalgaon under-construction tunnel on the Brahmkhal-Yamunotri highway collapsed following a landslide at around 5.30 am on the day of Diwali.
• Rescue efforts have been launched by the district administration and arrangements made to supply oxygen, electricity and eatables to the trapped labourers through air-compressed pipes.
• Multiple agencies, including the NDRF, SDRF, BRO, project executing agency NHIDCL and ITBP, joined the rescue efforts.