Uttarkashi: 41 trapped workers could be out today, says NDRF
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), on Friday, said that it anticipates the rescue of 41 workers trapped in Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to be concluded by the end of the day. Bhaskar Khulbe, former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, estimated on Thursday that it will take another 14-15 hours to reach the workers and an additional 2-3 hours to extract them with the help of NDRF personnel. The workers have been trapped in the rubble for 13 days.
Why does this story matter?
A portion of the 4.5km under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon, part of the Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed on November 12. While the initial span of debris was around 60m near the mouth of the tunnel on the Silkyara side, rescuers confirmed on Friday that only 10m remain. Notably, manual cutters have been kept handy in case the auger machine faces a hurdle.
Workers' condition and post-rescue plans
Superintendent of Police (SP), Uttarkashi, Arpan Yaduvanshi, said that a green corridor will be established for the movement of the rescued workers. The trapped workers have communicated with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister V K Singh, assuring them that they are in good condition. Mental health professionals have also spoken with the workers, according to Neeraj Khairwal, Uttarakhand Secretary and Nodal Officer for the Silkayara rescue operation.
Each worker to have an ambulance and personal attendant
A total of 41 ambulances are on standby to transport the rescued workers to hospitals. Dr. RCS Pawar, Chief Medical Officer of Uttarkashi, mentioned that each person will have at least one ambulance with an attendant. Mukesh Nautiyal, Project Manager of Operation 108 Ambulance, added that seven ambulances are equipped with advanced life support (ALS), while others have basic life support (BLS). Moreover, two helicopters are on standby to transport rescued workers to hospitals if needed.
Special beds reserved at AIIMS Rishikesh
In addition, a team of 15 doctors has been assigned the task of monitoring the health of the workers after their rescue. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh has reserved trauma and ICU beds for the workers if necessary. Serious patients will be placed in ALS-equipped ambulances, while others will be kept in BLS ambulances, according to Narendra Badoni, District Program Officer of 108 Ambulance.
Here's everything that was done overnight to ascertain rescue
Khulbe revealed that late on Thursday, the augur machine's platform was strengthened. Rescue workers also removed the obstacle in front of the augur and reconstructed the mouth of the 800mm pipe. They also used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to scan debris. The rescue operation has faced challenges due to the Himalayan region's topography and soil composition, causing frequent obstacles and slow progress.
NDRF demonstrates how workers would be pulled out
The NDRF released a demonstration video that shows how stretchers will be put to use to pull out trapped the workers. The clip shows the stretchers attached to ropes being pulled from outside the tunnel. Earlier, the rescuers had considered the option of making workers crawl out one by one. However, they ditched the plan after considering the workers' conditions and inability to move themselves.
