Machine flown in from Indore to expedite Uttarkashi tunnel rescue
As the operation to rescue 40 workers from a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi continued, authorities said they were bringing in a second machine for the mission on Saturday. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)'s Tunnel Project Director, Anshu Manish Khalko, stated the additional machine was being flown in from Indore and should arrive by Saturday morning. Notably, a powerful drilling machine, an American-made 175-hp auger—which is already at the site—reportedly made significant progress on Friday.
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The American-made auger machine was flown in from Delhi after a 35-hp auger machine failed to do the job. While the initial span of rubble was 40m, subsequent landslides have extended the wall of debris to 70m. A portion of the 4.5 km tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway collapsed on Sunday. Earlier, officials indicated that it could still take at least two more days to rescue the trapped workers.
Another drilling machine will speed up rescue operation: Project director
Speaking to the media, Khalko said they had "reached 24 meters inside," calling it a "good situation." Rescuers must drill up to 60 meters to insert 800mm and 900mm diameter pipes to create an escape tunnel for the stranded workers. They had worked overnight with the new auger drill machine, drilling up to 25 meters through the debris before the machine hit a metal part inside.
Concerns grow over trapped workers' health and safety
Meanwhile, the rescue officials estimate that it would take at least another two days to reach the trapped workers, per Moneycontrol. Concerns for their safety were mounting as oxygen levels dropped and food supplies dwindled. Moreover, the debris size has grown from an initial 50-55m to 65-70m due to continuous cave-ins, making the rescue operation increasingly complex and time-consuming, per a Railways official. He said that the challenging conditions within the tunnel made the rescue operation tough and time-consuming.
Families protest over delay in rescuing workers
Amid the cumbersome rescue, relatives of the trapped workers protested outside the tunnel on Wednesday, accusing the construction company, Navayuga Engineering Company Limited (NECL), and rescue teams of not working quickly enough. Union Minister General VK Singh (retired), who visited the site, reportedly spoke with the trapped laborers on a wireless set. "We are aiming to complete the task in two to three days. All efforts are being taken to rescue the trapped laborers. Their morale is high," he said.
