Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue halts again due to technical glitch
The challenging rescue mission to save 41 workers trapped in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi was reportedly halted on Friday night due to issues with the auger machine. Officials are now considering manual drilling as an alternative on the 14th day, despite it taking longer, News18 reported. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has deployed ground-penetrating radar to identify more possible obstacles and pledged to use every resource in the rescue operation.
Why does this story matter?
A section of the 4.5km under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon, which is part of the Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed on November 12, trapping the workers. While the initial debris span was roughly 60m near the tunnel's mouth on the Silkyara side, rescuers confirmed on Friday that barely 10m remained, raising hopes that workers may be rescued shortly. With each delay, concerns about the physical and mental health of the workers mount.
'War being fought to save sons of India': NDMA member
According to MoneyControl, drilling was halted on Friday when the 25-ton auger machine hit a metal girder. Speaking to the media in Delhi, NDMA member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain described the operation as "one of the most challenging." He said that "a war is being fought to save the sons of India, who have been trapped up there in the mountains."
'No timeline' for when operation could be resumed: Officials
Officials said that currently, there was "no timeline" for when the operation could be resumed and workers would be rescued. However, they expressed hope that workers would be evacuated soon. Hasnain said the government is ensuring that no required resources are left unused for the operation. Notably, the rescue work is being carried out on a war footing by scientists, international experts, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Border Roads Organization (BRO).
Timeline of events since tunnel collapse
On November 12, a landslide caused the under-construction Silkyara-Dandalgaon tunnel to collapse, trapping laborers inside. Rescue teams quickly supplied oxygen, electricity, and food through air-compressed pipes and contacted the trapped workers on November 13. However, the rescue efforts faced multiple setbacks, including falling debris, equipment issues, and concerns about further collapses. On November 15, a state-of-the-art auger machine was airlifted from Delhi to expedite the process. Despite this, drilling was halted multiple times due to obstacles and more debris.
Progress made, challenges faced
Officials and experts decided to work on five evacuation plans simultaneously, including vertical drilling through the top of the tunnel. On Monday, rescuers pushed through a six-inch-wide pipeline to supply larger quantities of food and other essentials to the trapped workers. Horizontal drilling reached about 45 meters of the 57-meter debris stretch by Wednesday, but iron rods obstructed the auger machine. Drilling resumed on Thursday but was halted due to cracks in the platform on which the drilling machine rested.
