The wait for 40 workers trapped in the under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route continues as the rescue operation entered the fifth day on Thursday.
The labourers are safe, and oxygen, electricity, medicines, food items and water are being constantly supplied to them through pipes.
Meanwhile, Union Minister V K Singh said all efforts are being made for an early and safe evacuation of 40 labourers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel since November 12 but the rescue operation could take two or three more days.
“It (evacuation) can happen even sooner than that but in circumstances like this, we should keep an outer limit of two-three days so that we can deal with an obstacle if it comes. Our priority is that they stay safe. Our priority is that they are evacuated at the earliest. All efforts are being made for that,” the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways said after reviewing the rescue operation.
He said he has spoken to the trapped labourers. “They are safe and their morale is high,” Singh added.
Speaking on the disaster-vulnerability of the area where a cave-in occurred on Sunday, Singh said, “According to data, it was stable for four-and-a-half years. But for some reason, the cave-in occurred.” He said these mountains are young and fragile.
Latest Updates on Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse
- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said all tunnels being constructed in the state will be reviewed. Several tunnels are to be built in the hill state as part of the ongoing Rs 12,000-crore Char Dham all-weather road project. The Silkyara tunnel, portions of which collapsed on Sunday morning following a landslide, is also part of the ambitious project.
- Doctors advised that the workers trapped in the collapsed under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand would need both physical and mental rehabilitation upon being rescued. The victims might experience panic attacks because of being trapped in closed spaces for long, said Dr Ajay Agarwal, director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Noida.
- A heavy-duty drilling machine flown in by the IAF from Delhi began boring through the rubble of a collapsed tunnel.
- Sections of mild steel pipes of 800-mm and 900-mm diameter will be inserted — one after the other — into the drilled passage. Once this happens, the workers trapped inside can crawl out to safety.
- The ‘American auger’ machine was airlifted in parts by three IAF transport aircraft on Wednesday to replace the “failed” equipment which was being used earlier to create the passage. These were then brought from the Uttarakhand’s Chinyalisaur airport, over 30 kilometres from the Silkyara tunnel on the Char Dham route, and assembled at the site.
- The first drilling machine turned out to be too slow and technical issues developed, the officials said. Also, falling debris inside the tunnel damaged the equipment and injured two rescue workers on Tuesday.
- A six-bed makeshift health facility has been set up and 10 ambulances with expert doctors stationed outside the tunnel to provide immediate medical care to the trapped workers after their evacuation, officials said.
- Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar has urged the United States Agency for International Development to provide immediate assistance in the ongoing rescue operations in Uttarakhand.
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