Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Day 6 of ordeal sees another setback in rescue operation

On Friday, the attempts to rescue workers trapped in a collapsed under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi faced setbacks as a second drilling machine sustained damage. This development led authorities to reduce the pace of operations, bring in an additional auger machine, and formulate a contingency plan. Initially thought to be 40 individuals trapped inside, officials later on Friday evening disclosed that rescuers have now identified 41 people in need of assistance.

A portion of the under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district collapsed due to a landslide in the wee hours on Sunday.

According to a report of Hindustan Times, Officials said the workers, who have been trapped behind a 65-70 metre wall of debris for over 130 hours as of Friday evening, reported no deterioration in their condition after having earlier complained of nausea. Nuts, roasted chickpeas, popcorn and medicines were being sent to them via a pipe every two hours, officials said.

While the advancement in reaching the trapped workers has been gradual, officials overseeing the operation reported that the drilling machine successfully penetrated a distance of 22 meters by Friday. We have made a significant progress and reached approximately 22 metres inside. Our goal is to reach the opposite side as quickly as possible, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) director Anshu Manish Khalkho said.

In the ongoing process, rescuers are drilling through the debris to insert two pipes consecutively one with a diameter of 800mm and the other 900mm. This method aims to establish a passage through which the trapped workers can crawl out. The pipes, each 6 metres in length, are aligned on the machine and pushed forward, with the auger drilling through debris and pushing muck backward. While this part of the process is relatively quick, the complexity arises during the alignment and welding of the pipes. The meticulous approach is intentional to prevent any misalignment, even for a centimetre, the NHIDCL director explained.