Uttarakhand tunnel collapse Highlights: Drilling at tunnel to evacuate workers halted again

Days after an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district collapsed where 41 workers were trapped, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja said that proper reasoning and explanation for the tunnel collapse must be ascertained.

Speaking to ANI on the tunnel collapse on Thursday, Raja said, "People across the country are praying for a smooth and successful rescue operation in the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse incident. I, along with several other Indian citizens, pray that each one of them is rescued in a safe and sound manner."

"We need to rescue our people and then draw lessons as to why such a collapse takes place and what preventive measures or steps must be taken or planned. We must also look into how it could have happened and how it could have been prevented. All such questions need to be addressed in the coming days," said the CPI leader.

On Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, International Tunneling Expert, Arnold Dix said to ANI, "We are only just metres away from finding passage to have the men back. But the men are safe. The auger machine has broken down, it is being repaired and it should be back up tomorrow. The drilling machine has broken down three times..."

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue | Drilling work halted after technical snag in the Auger drilling machine. Till now, rescuers have drilled up to 46.8 meters in the Silkyara tunnel

Workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel for the last 11 days are likely to be rescued in the next few hours or by tomorrow, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said. "I expect that in the next few hours or by tomorrow, we will be successful in this operation," Hasnain said in a media briefing.

International expert Arnold Dix says auger machine drilling through rubble at Uttarkashi tunnel is experiencing 'some difficulties' again

All 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel are practising yoga and other exercises while rescuers work to create an escape route, according to Jaymal Singh Negi, brother of Gabbar Singh Negi - one of the men stranded for 12 days, reported ANI.

While speaking to ANI, Jaymal Singh Negi mentioned that his brother informed him about the trapped men engaging in yoga and exercises inside the tunnel.

He also advised his brother to continue these activities.

International Tunneling Expert, Arnold Dix said to ANI, "The vertical drilling is all prepared, as in all the sites prepared, the access roads prepared, everything's prepared, and decisions being taken shortly about what to do with the vertical drilling. But all of the different access routes, they affect each other. So while we're doing Augering, we have to be very careful and that includes being careful about vertical drilling. So we're ready for vertical drilling. It's just a question of when the decision is made whether to do it or not to do it..."

At 4.15 pm on Wednesday, Chaudhary Lal, father of Manjeet Lal of Kheri in UP, expected that he would meet his son by late evening. A few hours later, he thought Manjeet would come out by Thursday morning. At around 6 pm on Thursday, it’s been over 24 hours that he had been desperately waiting to reunite with him.

“They (rescuers) are on the verge of getting through to the other side of the debris, but I don’t know when finally, I will be able to see him (Manjeet),” he said. “I just leave the spot outside the tunnel to have my meals, otherwise I keep staring at the mouth of the tunnel. They may come out anytime soon, at least the rescuers have been saying this from yesterday,” he said.

Jaimal Singh Negi, brother of trapped foreman Gabbar Singh Negi, shares the same thoughts. “How long we should wait ... .they (rescuers) have been pushing the deadline further with each passing hour,” he said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami along with Union Minister of State General (Retd) VK Singh reached Silkyara in Uttarkashi on Thursday and took stock of ongoing Rescue Operation there. He spoke to the trapped workers and assured them that they would be rescued soon and tried to boost their morale.

The Chief Minister also offered his prayers at the makeshift shrine of local deity Baba Boukhnag located at the entrance of the tunnel and wished for the speedy rescue of all the workers. He also took information from international tunnel expert Prof. Arnold Dix about the technical aspects of the rescue operation going on in the tunnel.

Dhami spoke to the workers trapped inside through the audio communication setup installed in the tunnel. He asked about their well-being and tried to boost their morale. Talking to the workers, the Chief Minister said that relief and rescue work is going on war footing. He told them Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuously monitoring the situation and is regularly taking information about the progress of the rescue operation. “The whole country stands with you. The state government also stands with you in every situation”, he told workers.

Cloud over the rescue of the 41 stranded workers continues to hover as government officials differ from guaranteeing a specific date or time on the completion of the mission, while highlighting that a third technical snag had hindered the rescue mission when a girder had stopped the American auger’s drilling process yesterday night.

“No one knows the kind of obstructions that have taken place in it. We need a lot of time in these things and such was the case last night that the drilling machine identified a girder and then resources were used to bring the auger out and bring in oxyacetylene torches to cut the girder and these are time taking things and cannot happen within a given time frame. This is an arduous task,” said National Disaster Management Authority, Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain while addressing a press briefing here.

“…last night progress was made beyond 45 metres but it is come to the fore that some obstructions had stalled work and measure are being taken to mitigate these problems. It also cannot be confirmed if there won’t be any more challenges as far as rescue ops are concerned and any concrete block can delay the rescue ops but government’s efforts will not stop,” NDMA’s Hasnain said.

"Earlier, we were about at 22 metres as far as horizontal access was concerned from the end where the collapse had taken place. Today, we are at approximately 45 metres with all the pipes having been laid and welded. The distance beyond is approx. 23 metres or so," says Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, NDMA member.

Ambulances were on standby Thursday as rescuers dug through the final metres of debris separating them from 41 workers trapped in the collapsed road tunnel for nearly two weeks in Uttarakhand.

Rescue teams have specially fitted stretchers with wheels, ready to pull the exhausted men out through 57 metres (187 feet) of steel pipe -- once it is driven through the final section of the tonnes of earth, concrete and rubble blocking their escape.

In view of the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, a temporary Chief Minister Camp office has been set up in Matali, Uttarkashi. Today morning, CM Dhami took stock of the tunnel rescue operation and also consulted with the experts present here.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) today took a meeting to review the relief and rescue operations after taking stock of the tunnel rescue operation in Silkyara, Uttarkashi.

During this, the CM directed the officers and said that all the agencies should be engaged in relief and rescue work with mutual coordination. It should be the effort of all of us to get the trapped workers out safely as soon as possible, says CMO.

“We hope to get success in this operation in the next few hours, or by tomorrow…,” Member of the National Disaster Management Authority, Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain said to ANI.

With the rescue plan entering its last stage, rescuers have made a detailed plan on how to take out the 41 construction workers who have been stuck inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi since November 12 morning.

According to officials, once the wide pipes are pushed through the debris in the tunnel, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), wearing oxygen kits, will crawl through the pipe carrying wheel-fitted stretchers, a rope, and oxygen kits for workers. Then the doctors and paramedics will be sent inside on wheel-fitted stretchers. The doctors and the medical staff will then check the vitals of the trapped workers.

The stretcher will be tied with ropes from both sides. One by one, these workers will be taken out. Until each worker is evacuated through the pipe, a team of the NDRF will remain on the other side.

On the progress in the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, Member of the National Disaster Management Authority, Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain said to ANI, " This is challenging work. To keep expecting that rescue will be done in the next two hours, It puts pressure on the workforce. This is wrong. In this situation, both the trapped workers and the rescue team are at risk. We have to cater for the safety of both."

Inspector-General (IG) of Police Garhwal Range KS Nagnyal, speaking about the ongoing rescue operation of trapped workers at Sikyara tunnel, said that the stipulated time of the rescue cannot be decided as it is a machinery work.

"The attempt at rescue is in progress and rescue is expected to be carried out very soon. It is machinery work so a stipulated time can't be decided. The rescue work will go on at night as well," said IG.

On labourers trapped inside the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said to ANI, "I extend my best wishes to their family members. The Uttarakhand government should take responsibility for how this incident happened. It is a coincidence that they are all safe and luckily got a space. How was this big construction working without any soil testing and standard operating procedures?..."

Once the rescue pipe breaks through the debris, NDRF plans to pull out the trapped workers with the help of wheeled stretchers tied to ropes, a senior official said on Thursday.

Rescue operations to evacuate 41 workers trapped in the tunnel resumed on Thursday morning after an iron mesh that had come in the path of the auger machine drilling an escape path was removed.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General Atul Karwal, who was present at the site, said the force is fully ready for the evacuation.

In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, 41 workers are trapped in the tunnel in Silkyara, Uttarkashi for 12 days. The news is that the ongoing operation to save them is moving towards success and there is hope that everyone will come out safely soon.We pray to God that all the labour brothers come out as soon as possible and reach their homes in good health. The prayers of the entire country are with them.The government is requested to provide proper compensation and help to them who risk their lives day and night to serve the nation".