Rescue operation faces snag after sudden ‘cracking sound’ at U'khand tunnel site; further collapse likely

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: The drilling process progresses at a slower rate than expected due to several issues including the nature of the debris.

The operation to rescue all the 41 labourers trapped inside an under-construction tunnel since Sunday morning has been marred by several hindrances. Rescuers had to suspend work temporarily on Friday after they heard a sudden ‘cracking sound’ which created a panic situation. This came after the rescue drive faced a technical snag as a second drilling machine suffered damage.

Members of rescue teams stand at the entrance of a tunnel where road workers are trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand (REUTERS)

The plan is to sift through 65 to 70 metres of debris using drilling machines and push two pipes of 800 mm and 900 mm one after the other to created a passage for them to crawl out of. So far, rescue personnel managed to push the pipes for 22 meters before there was a snag.

1. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) said in a report that similar cracking sound was noted previously and there was a ‘strong possibility of further collapse’.
2. The temparature inside the tunnel is relatively higher than outside and chief medical officer of the district RCS Pawar said there have been no complaints of feeling cold by the men. Night temperatures have fallen to 13 degrees Celsius (55°F) as winter sets in.
3. Amid the rescue operations, the Indian Air Force has been deployed to airlift almost 22 tonnes of critical equipment from Indore to Dehradun.
4. The 25-tonne American-made machine used for drilling has been progressing at a rate 'lesser than expected’. NHIDCL director Anshu Manish Khalkho said the reason for slow progess is because aligning the pipes and welding them before pushing through the debris takes time.
5. An official of the Odisha government's Labour department has spoken to the state's workers trapped after the collapse of an under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Five labourers from Odisha are among the 40 workers who have been trapped there.
6. While thus far it was believed that 40 people were trapped inside, officials late on Friday evening said rescuers have now identified 41.

(With agency inputs)