Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: State govt seeking help from Norway, Thailand

Three special aircraft of the Indian Air Force are carrying 25 tonnes of heavy equipment to Uttarkashi which will help penetrate the debris

The Uttarakhand government is planning to seek the help of special rescue teams from Norway and Thailand to evacuate the 40 labourers who have been trapped in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi district for the past three days, officials said on Wednesday.

Rescuers near the collapsed part of the tunnel in Uttarkashi. (HT Photo)

Officials aware of the matter said those involved in the rescue operations have contacted a rescue company in Thailand that had saved children trapped in a cave there. In July 2018, 12 members of a junior association football team aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach were rescued from Tham Luang Nang Non, a cave system in Chiang Rai province of northern Thailand.

Norway’s NGI agency has been contacted to obtain specific suggestions for operations inside the tunnel.

Meanwhile, three special aircraft of the Indian Air Force are carrying 25 tonnes of heavy equipment to Uttarkashi which will help penetrate the debris and push the steel pipe on the other side of the collapsed stretch of the tunnel. With this equipment, five metres of debris can be removed per hour.