Trapped workers to be brought to AIIMS Rishikesh, ambulance kept on standby

As Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation enters final stage, AIIMS Rishikesh Assistant Professor Dr Narinder Kumar says, "The rescued workers will be brought here only if medical treatment requirements cannot be met in Uttarkashi District hospital. At AIIMS Rishikesh, there are 20 beds in Trauma Centre and a few ICU beds. If the workers are brought here, they can be given good medical care. A team of doctors has been constituted to be sent to Uttarkashi, if ordered by the state government."

Rescue crews successfully breached the 60-meter stretch of debris in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel on Tuesday in a big relief for the 41 workers who had been trapped for 16 days.A senior official confirmed the completion of drilling.The tunnel had been obstructed since November 12 when a section collapsed, trapping the workers inside.

A separate ward comprising 41 oxygen-supported beds has been readied at the community health centre in Chinyalisaur, about 30 km from Silkyara, for the workers.The road outside the tunnel, which became uneven due to regular movement of heavy vehicles over the past fortnight was being repaired and a fresh layer of soil was being laid for smooth movement of ambulances.Senior police officers briefed the security personnel outside the tunnel to spring into action the moment workers started coming out of the escape passage being prepared for them.