Uttarkashi op: Vertical drilling makes progress, 5 more rescue plans in works
In a race against time, rescue teams have picked up the pace in their efforts to save 41 workers trapped for over two weeks.
In the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi after it collapsed on November 12, with six plans being considered to dig out the stranded men.
On Sunday, rescuers began drilling vertically into the hill above the tunnel, reaching a depth of nearly 30 metres, according to latest reports. This new approach is part of at least six strategies being considered to free the trapped men.
In addition to multiple government agencies, the Indian Army joined the rescue operation to start drilling the tunnel manually after the advanced auger drilling machine broke down. The machine has now been removed from the tunnel.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert in Uttarkashi, warning of rain, lightning, and possible hailstorms, potentially impacting ongoing rescue operations.
Here’s what you need to know about the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue ops:
The goal of the vertical escape passage construction is to drill down 86 metres to reach the trapped workers. By Sunday evening, the heavy drilling equipment had bored down to about 19.5 meters. If no obstacles arise, the vertical boring is expected to be completed by Thursday, according to National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) managing director Mahmood Ahmed.
As the drilling progresses, 700-mm wide pipes are being inserted to create an escape passage. Additionally, a thinner, 200-mm probe has already reached the 70-metre mark.
NDMA Member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said that six rescue plans are being synchronized. The vertical boring option was chosen after setbacks with horizontal drilling from the tunnel’s Silkyara-end, where approximately 60 metres of debris obstructs the path.
The large auger drill used for horizontal drilling became stuck on Friday, leading officials to abandon the 25-tonne machine and explore other rescue options.
Another potential strategy is sideways drilling, although the necessary machinery has yet to arrive at the site. Hasnain said the equipment was scheduled to arrive at the collapse site on Sunday night, and would be used to clear a 17-metre path to the trapped labourers.
A 483-metre rescue tunnel is planned to be created using blasting techniques from the Barkot end of the tunnel. Five blasts have already penetrated a 10-12 metre area as of Sunday morning. Hasnain said that efforts were made to carry out three blasts per day to accelerate the rescue operation.
Authorities said that the trapped construction workers have access to light, oxygen, food, water, and medicines. Earlier, they were provided with mobile phones and board games to help them bust stress after the rescue operation stalled due to the breakdown of the auger drilling machine.