Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Hope arises as rescue teams nearing breakthrough; likely to take entire night to finish ops
PTC Web Desk: A glimmer of hope shines as efforts intensify to rescue 41 workers trapped for 17 days in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel. Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd), a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, highlighted the imminent breakthrough, suggesting that the operation may extend into the night, but assured preparations are in place to swiftly attend to the workers upon their rescue.
Rescue teams are tirelessly clearing the remaining debris, employing the banned manual "rat-hole" mining technique after advanced machinery faltered in drilling the crucial 60-metre stretch. They are also laying down two-feet wide pipes to create an escape route.
"We are on the verge of a breakthrough... yet not quite there. Manual efforts have continued overnight, reaching 58 metre due to the dedicated work of our 'rat miners' and Army engineers. The workers inside have reported hearing the sounds of ongoing work," explained Lt General Hasnain.
In readiness for the workers' extraction, the Air Force has positioned a Chinook helicopter, a heavy-lift chopper, near the medical centre at Chinyalisaur.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami expressed optimism, affirming the completion of pipe installation earlier in the day. "With the immense grace of Baba Baukh Nagji, the prayers of millions of citizens, and the relentless dedication of rescue teams, the pipe laying work in the tunnel for the workers' evacuation has concluded. Soon, our laborer brothers will be brought to safety," he shared on X (formerly Twitter).
बाबा बौख नाग जी की असीम कृपा, करोड़ों देशवासियों की प्रार्थना एवं रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन में लगे सभी बचाव दलों के अथक परिश्रम के फलस्वरूप श्रमिकों को बाहर निकालने के लिए टनल में पाइप डालने का कार्य पूरा हो चुका है। शीघ्र ही सभी श्रमिक भाइयों को बाहर निकाल लिया जाएगा। — Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) November 28, 2023
- With inputs from agencies
