Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: 'Rescue Work To Take 12 To 14 Hours More...', Says Top Official

New Delhi: An iron mesh that was obstructing the auger machine drilling through the rubble at Silkyara tunnel has been cut and removed, news agency PTI quoted officials as saying on Thursday. “The iron mesh problem has been solved. We used iron cutters to cut the mesh,” said Bhaskar Khulbe, a former advisor to the prime minister’s office. The drilling of 800 mm diameter steel pipes through the rubble had to stop for a few hours after hitting the iron mesh late Wednesday. With the obstacle cleared, the pipe pushing process has continued, officials said.

He said that they were trying to move further by 6 metres from the 45-metre mark that they had reached. He also said that the drilling work was halted last night due to an iron mesh, but it was resolved. He hoped that there would be no more hindrances in the rescue work.

The rescue operations at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi is nearing completion and the 41 trapped workers could be rescued anytime now. The rescuers are working round the clock to save 41 workers who have been trapped inside the tunnel since November 12, when a landslide blocked the entrance. 

Meanwhile, International tunneling expert, Arnold Dix on reaching the spot said he was hopeful of reaching the workers soon. “We are at the front door and we are knocking on it. We know that the guys are there on the other side. I am going to have a look and see what is happening…”, he said.

The rescue work in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, where several workers are trapped, is almost done. The police chief of Uttarkashi, Arpan Yaduvanshi, said that the drilling work faced some obstacles due to some iron metal, but it was cleared. He said that only about 12 metres of pipeline work was left, and he hoped that the workers would be rescued soon.

He also said that the police had prepared a plan to escort the workers to the nearest medical facilities. He said that they would be taken to Chinyalisaur and then to Rishikesh if needed. He also said that some VIPs, including Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd), would be visiting the site.

Meanwhile, former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe has also reached the Silkyara tunnel site where the rescue operation is currently underway to bring out all the trapped workers.

The workers were working on a tunnel project from Silkyara to Barkot when the disaster struck. They are stuck in a 60-meter stretch of the tunnel on the Silkyara side. The rescue team has been using a horizontal drilling machine to insert pipes into the tunnel, but they faced some difficulty in cutting the steel rods in the way.

The workers are believed to be safe inside the tunnel, which is 8.5 meters high and 2 kilometers long. The tunnel has electricity and water supply for the workers. The NDRF team has also carried oxygen cylinders to the tunnel.

An ambulance and a team of doctors are also ready inside the tunnel and at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur, where a 41-bed hospital has been set up for the workers. Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami is also present in Uttarkashi to oversee the operation.