Trapped workers on brink of rescue as tunnel breach progresses
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Trapped workers on brink of rescue as tunnel breach progresses

After enduring a rollercoaster of emotions vacillating between hope and despair for more than 11 days, the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel were on the brink of rescue late Wednesday. The multi-agency operation, focused on horizontal drilling for the past two days, successfully breached a significant portion of the debris obstructing the path.

The US-manufactured auger drilling machine, which had malfunctioned on November 16, causing a temporary suspension of horizontal drilling, was reactivated. Its mission was to insert 900mm pipes into the debris up to a distance of approximately 60 meters, creating a passage for the workers to crawl through and exit safely. As of the latest report on Wednesday, rescuers had breached around 45 meters of the debris, leaving only a 15-meter distance to complete the drilling.

A source involved in the rescue operation informed that the auger machine encountered an obstacle around 6 pm, prompting a temporary drilling halt. "NDRF personnel entered the escape passage to inspect the hurdle. After a manual examination, they identified a metal object blocking the way. They are currently addressing the obstacle using a gas cutter. Once resolved, the machine will resume drilling to push pipes into the remaining section," explained a member of the rescue team.

To facilitate safe passage for the rescue teams operating within the tunnel, an escape passage was established by placing box culverts and hume pipes over a length of 67 meters, as reported by an official from the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the agency overseeing the tunnel project.

Bhaksar Khulbe, former secretary to the Prime Minister and current adviser to the Uttarakhand government overseeing the operations, expressed optimism, stating, "I have spoken to the men, and they are all in high spirits. If everything goes as per plan, they will see the light of day on Thursday."

After enduring a rollercoaster of emotions vacillating between hope and despair for more than 11 days, the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel were on the brink of rescue late Wednesday. The multi-agency operation, focused on horizontal drilling for the past two days, successfully breached a significant portion of the debris obstructing the path. The US-manufactured auger drilling machine, which had malfunctioned on November 16, causing a temporary suspension of horizontal drilling, was reactivated. Its mission was to insert 900mm pipes into the debris up to a distance of approximately 60 meters, creating a passage for the workers to crawl through and exit safely. As of the latest report on Wednesday, rescuers had breached around 45 meters of the debris, leaving only a 15-meter distance to complete the drilling. A source involved in the rescue operation informed that the auger machine encountered an obstacle around 6 pm, prompting a temporary drilling halt. NDRF personnel entered the escape passage to inspect the hurdle. After a manual examination, they identified a metal object blocking the way. They are currently addressing the obstacle using a gas cutter. Once resolved, the machine will resume drilling to push pipes into the remaining section, explained a member of the rescue team. To facilitate safe passage for the rescue teams operating within the tunnel, an escape passage was established by placing box culverts and hume pipes over a length of 67 meters, as reported by an official from the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), the agency overseeing the tunnel project. Bhaksar Khulbe, former secretary to the Prime Minister and current adviser to the Uttarakhand government overseeing the operations, expressed optimism, stating, I have spoken to the men, and they are all in high spirits. If everything goes as per plan, they will see the light of day on Thursday.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Asian Energy Services Q1 FY27 PAT Rises 129 Per Cent

Asian Energy Services Limited reported a 129 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to Rs 128 million for Q1 FY27, compared with the corresponding quarter last year.Revenue increased 135 per cent year-on-year to Rs 2.71 billion, supported by continued momentum across its services business, disciplined execution and contributions from domestic and international operations. EBITDA grew 81 per cent year-on-year during the quarter.As of June 30, 2026, the company’s standalone order book stood at Rs 17.54 billion, with around 60 per cent coming from oil and gas services and 40 per cent from min..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

BioBTX to Build First Commercial-Scale Circular Chemicals Plant

Dutch circular chemistry technology developer BioBTX is building what it says will be the world’s first commercial-scale plant to convert mixed plastic waste into high-quality aromatic chemicals using its proprietary Integrated Catalytic Cracking Process (ICCP) technology.The facility will be built at Chemical Park Delfzijl on the northern coast of the Netherlands and is expected to create 35 jobs. Covestro, which has been a shareholder and strategic partner of BioBTX since 2024, holds a mid-single-digit million-euro investment in the company.BioBTX’s ICCP technology uses catalytic pyrolys..

Next Story
Real Estate

Awfis Q1 FY27 PAT Jumps 140% as Revenue Rises 27%

Awfis Space Solutions reported a 140 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated profit after tax (PAT) to Rs 240 million for Q1 FY27, compared with Rs 100 million in the corresponding quarter last year.Revenue from operations increased 27 per cent to Rs 4.25 billion from Rs 3.35 billion, while EBITDA rose 28 per cent to Rs 1.62 billion. EBITDA margin improved to 38.2 per cent from 37.8 per cent. Profit before tax increased 135 per cent to Rs 240 million.The company's co-working business recorded 27 per cent year-on-year growth, supported by demand from enterprises, Global Capability Centres (G..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement