Rescue Operations for 41 Trapped Workers in Uttarakhand Tunnel Hindered by Drilling Difficulties
The challenging rescue mission to free 41 workers trapped in a tunnel in the Silkyara area of Uttarakhand, India has encountered setbacks due to ongoing drilling and laying pipe difficulties. The workers have been stuck in the tunnel for 13 days, following a landslide that caused the collapse of the two-way tunnel under construction.
Efforts to reach the trapped workers have been hampered by a series of obstacles. The workers are currently being provided with oxygen to maintain their well-being as rescue teams work tirelessly to reach them. Dry fruits, nutritional pills, and anti-depressants have been provided to the workers through a small tube, while a 6-inch-wide pipe has been drilled through the rubble to transport food, cell phones, and chargers.
While initial signs of progress were seen with an endoscopy camera confirming the workers’ well-being, new challenges have since arisen. A drilling machine used in ongoing rescue efforts sustained damage when steel bars interfered with the drilling path. Although the barricades were removed and drilling resumed, a crack in the concrete floor and subsequent problems with the drilling machine have temporarily halted the rescue operations.
An official from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) emphasized the importance of utilizing all resources for rescue operations and cautioned against speculation about the current status of the efforts. “It is a very challenging and tough task,” the official stated, expressing the commitment to resume and continue the rescue operations. The official’s comments come amid the determination of the rescue teams to overcome the ongoing difficulties and successfully free the trapped workers.