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Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: How long will mission take? What's next for 41 trapped workers?
Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Union minister Gen VK Singh (retd), chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the Silkyara tunnel to oversee the last leg.
With the last leg of the rescue mission in Uttarkashi Silkyara tunnel going on, it will take a few more hours – 12-14 hours -- for the 41 men trapped for the last 11 days to finally see the light of day. The rescuers did not give any timeline as the drilling met a roadblock early on Thursday as an iron mesh came in the way of the US-made auger machine. The drilling resumed after the iron mesh was cut through.
What is happening at the Silkyara tunnel now?
Rescuers are laying the last 12 metres of the pipeline. It took six hours for the rescuers to remove the iron mesh.
"I am happy to tell you the entire steel that was obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed. We are trying to move 6 metres ahead of the 45-metre mark that we have already reached. During drilling last night, an iron metal had come in, due to which the work was stopped. We hope that there will be no more obstructions in our way ahead," Former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe said.
Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) reached the site at around 10.30am. Chief minister Pushkar Singh reached the spot to oversee the last leg of the major 12-day operation.
"At the moment, it's like we are there at the front door and we are knocking on it. We know that the guys are there on the other side," international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix told ANI.
NDRF personnel carried Oxygen cylinders at Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to assist in the ongoing rescue operation.
What will happen after the 41 men are rescued?
The 41 men will be immediately provided with medical care.
Ambulances have already reached outside the tunnel. The moment they are rescued, they will be taken to the health centre through a green corridor.
A 41-bed ward has been created at the community health centre in Chinyalisaur. If necessary, they will be taken to Rishikesh.
A detailed medical examination of the workers will take place at the hospital.
Uttarkashi tunnel project: What happened from November 12?
On November 12, a part of the under-construction tunnel caved in trapping the 41 workers in a small area measuring 8.5 metres in height and 2 kilometres in length. Rescuing the workers meant drilling through the debris and placing pipes to make a safe passage for the trapped workers.
As agencies started rescue work, the US-made high-performance auger machine to drill through the debris was deployed on November 16. The US-made auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour
Before November 16, the experts were trying with regular auger machines.
On November 17, the machine developed a snag and the drilling process was halted fearing more cave-ins.
On October 21, the rescuers inserted an endoscopic camera and the first footage of the trapped 41 men emerged on the 10th day of the operation.
On October 21, the trapped workers were provided with hot, cooked food for the first time.
