The rescue efforts intensified at the Silkyara Tunnel collapse site in Uttarakhand by Wednesday night, with about 30 ambulances and a team of 15 doctors standing prepared at the tunnel spot to rescue the 41 workers trapped during the November 12 collapse. Additionally, a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team entered the tunnel equipped with rescue gear.

The government’s horizontal drilling reached about 67 per cent completion, having inserted the escape pipeline to a distance of 45 metres, with a remaining 12 metres to reach the area where 41 workers are trapped behind the rubble. The trapped workers are within an area measuring 8.5 metres in height and 2 kilometers in length, part of the built-up portion of the tunnel, which offers safety features like electricity and water supply.

ONGC is coordinating the mobilisation of machinery from the USA, Mumbai, and Ghaziabad for vertical boring, as per government statements.

It has been more than 10 days since the workers were trapped in the partially collapsed under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi district. Drilling from the Silkyara-end halted on Friday afternoon due to an obstruction encountered by the auger machine near the 22-meter mark, causing safety concerns due to vibrations. However, drilling resumed around midnight on Tuesday.

Early on Tuesday, initial visuals of the trapped workers were captured using an endoscopic camera sent through a new six-inch pipeline. These workers hail from Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Assam.

The second lifeline system efficiently ensured a continuous supply of food items such as rotis, sabzi, khichdi, daliya, oranges, and bananas within the tunnel.

Latest developments of rescue efforts here

-In a video shared by news agency ANI, NDRF personnel were observed entering the tunnel equipped with rescue gear such as stretchers. The NDRF personnel were seen carrying oxygen cylinders at Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel, aiding the ongoing rescue operation.

-As the drilling machine progresses, six-metre sections of steel pipes, slightly under a metre wide, are inserted into the escape passage. The expectation is that once the pipeway reaches the tunnel’s other end, the trapped workers will be able to crawl out.

-A special train coordinated by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) and Indian Railways (IR) transported equipment from Karambeli in Gujarat to Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, covering a span of 1605 km to assist in the rescue of the trapped workers. According to official details, the train journeyed between New Sanand and New Khatauli on the DFC alignment, covering 1075 km in 18 hours and 38 minutes on November 21 and 22, 2023. It maintained a maximum permissible speed of 95% throughout the DFC stretch, arriving at Rishikesh station at 9.00 am on Wednesday.

-During a media briefing in Silkyara around 4 pm, Bhaskar Khulbe, a former advisor with the Prime Minister’s Office, expressed positivity, mentioning the insertion of another six-meter section of the rescue pipe in the last hour.

-When questioned about a timeline for the workers’ evacuation, Khulbe expressed hope, saying, “We hope to celebrate Bagwal with them,” referring to Igas, a festival observed in the Garhwal region post Diwali. This year, Igas falls on Thursday.

– Five agencies— Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDCL)—have been collectively collaborating and occasionally adjusting tasks for operational efficiency, the government said.

-The Jharkhand government intends to airlift its workers, part of the 41 trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel, once they are rescued, news agency PTI reported. Among those trapped, 15 workers are from Jharkhand.

Readiness after workers are out

As quoted by news agency ANI, Bisan Singh Panwar, Ambulance Technical Staff, said, “We have oxygen cylinders available in the ambulances. Once workers come out, their vital organs will be checked. A total of 30 ambulances have been arranged so far. Out of 30 ambulances, there are 8 advanced life support ambulances and 22 BLS ambulances. It has been instructed to us that remain alert as rescue operation might be completed by night.”

A team of 15 doctors, including chest specialists, has been stationed at the site in anticipation of the evacuation.

A helicopter was also anticipated to be assigned for the operation. A 41-bed hospital was prepared on Wednesday at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur in this district to attend to the 41 trapped laborers once they are rescued. Officials mentioned that all hospitals in the district, along with AIIMS, Rishikesh, are on alert.

(With inputs from agencies)