New Delhi: The challenging mission involving the rescue of 41 ill-fated laborers who have been stuck inside a tunnel for the last 12 days in Uttarkashi is in its last stage with less than 6 meters of debris keeping the workers entrapped.
Here are Major developments about Operation
The Augar machine, which was recently imported from the US to facilitate the rescue operation, is capable of digging through approximately 3 meters of debris per hour.
Although the machine came to a halt this morning after hitting an obstruction, the rescue team soon removed the hurdle using a mental cutter and continued the operation.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | DG NDRF, Atul Karwal says “Auger machine has started operating again. We are estimating to send 2-3 pipes of 6 metres inside. Hopefully, by the end of the day, if we do not get any obstacles, the rescue operation will be… pic.twitter.com/OMuwxBf5i5
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2023
Search and Rescue teams have informed that they are drilling across the debris in an attempt to shove wide pipes and make way for the trapped to safely come out of the tunnel through them.
Along with the continued drilling, the NDRF team is pushing one after another pipe through the debris. Whenever one pipe successfully goes inside, another one is attached to it in order to create an evacuation route for the trapped wage earners.
The evacuation plan
Soon after the evacuation route made with pipes becomes accessible to the trapped laborers, an NDRF Doctor will be sent inside to check the condition of each and every person inside the tunnel.
The same doctor will also step by step teach them how to crawl through the narrow pipes that have jagged edges at the welding joints.
Once the checkup of the worker’s condition is completed, they will be made to evacuate the tunnel through the pipes under the oversaw of National Disaster Response Force officials.
As soon as the workers step out of the tunnel, they will be taken to a makeshift hospital in Ambulances that have already been deployed at the sight. In the hospital, all the workers will undergo proper medical treatment under the supervision of senior doctors.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | IG Garhwal Range, KS Nagnyal says, “We have made all the arrangements for ambulances…We’ll take them (trapped workers) from the site to the hospital through green corridor. As per the doctor’s advice, we can also airlift people… pic.twitter.com/DVgkEAvX3V
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2023
As of now, around 44 Pipes have been successfully inserted after clearing a large chunk of debris through horizontal drilling.
Senior rescue officer Harpal Singh has informed that heavy steel rods are also there in the debris and the same cannot be eliminated by the Augar machine. Therefore, NDRF will have to manually remove those rods in order for the machines to continue digging.
Rescue team’s concerns about workers health
As the entrapped men have been struck inside the tunnel for a dozen days with only limited and improper food supply reachable to them, the rescue workers are also concerned about their health as they will be exposed to a much lower temperature the moment they walk out from the tunnel and the same can have an adverse physiological effect on their bodies.
Uttrakashi Tunnel collaspe
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | First visuals of the trapped workers emerge as the rescue team tries to establish contact with them. The endoscopic flexi camera reached the trapped workers. pic.twitter.com/5VBzSicR6A
— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2023
All the 41 laborers, who were working for the center’s Char Dham Project (A project that will link Uttarkashi to Yamunotri) got trapped inside the tunnel following a major landslide that occurred on 12th November.
The Landside confined the workers to a 8.5 meters l high and 2 km long Area with no way to get out of the same. However, fortunately, it didn’t affect the under-construction tunnel’s water and electricity supply which continued to work properly even after the occurrence of the natural disaster.
Will take 2-3 hours to get workers out of tunnel
As the rescue team has faced numerous difficulties and challenges during the ongoing rescue operation, they are still unsure of saying anything about the exact time or date of the completion of the operation.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel rescue | Former advisor to PMO, Bhaskar Khulbe says “…In the next 14-15 hours, we will be able to cross the 60-metre mark. It will take 12-14 hours more for us to reach the spot where the workers are trapped and then it can take 2-3… pic.twitter.com/8KU8XrhaY9
— ANI (@ANI) November 23, 2023
However, PMO’s ex-adviser Bhaskar Kulbe has claimed that it might take the rescue team 12-14 hours to cross the 60-meter mark and reach the part of the tunnel where the 41 workers are stuck after the landslide.
He said, “We believe that we have crossed all the hurdles that came our way during the last few days, this is what we hope, and believe. Now, we are looking to reach workers In the next 14-15 hours.”
The former adviser also added that it would take at least 2-3 hours for the NDRF personnel to assemble the workers and get them out of the tunnel.
