Trapped workers on brink of rescue as tunnel breach progresses

24 Nov 2023 CW Team

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."

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