Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: 41 laborers are still trapped in the debris of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. Many agencies are engaged to save them. But even after about 13 to 14 days, they have still not been taken out. However, efforts are being made to rescue them by building another tunnel parallel to the tunnel. But, now they are facing many problems in getting rid of them. At present, 10 to 12 meters of drilling is left, which requires a lot of effort. In such a situation, now there is only one question in everyone’s mind that when will the workers trapped in the tunnel come out. An officer engaged in rescue work has given a statement regarding this and has told by when everyone will be able to be evacuated safely.
The operation may take a long time!
“This operation may take a long time,” National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lieutenant General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said in Delhi, advising patience. Meanwhile, Arnold Dix, the international tunneling consultant at the disaster site, reiterated his promise to get the workers out “by Christmas.” The current situation is that if drilling is done by hand, one will have to face many problems.
Plasma machine was ordered
A plasma machine has been airlifted from Hyderabad to cut out the parts stuck in the debris of the auger machine which was being used in the ongoing rescue operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel of Uttarakhand for the last 14 days. To proceed with the rescue operation, it is necessary to completely remove the machine. To prepare a path for the workers to get out, pipes will have to be laid through hand drilling in the debris.
Will be out by Christmas!
On Saturday, international experts expressed hope that 41 workers trapped for the last 13 days would come out by Christmas next month. Drilling work was disrupted almost all day on Friday, although the seriousness of the problem became clear on Saturday when Arnold Dix, an international expert on tunneling, told reporters that the auger machine had “broken down”. “The blade of the auger machine is broken, damaged,” Dix, an Australian expert, told reporters at the disaster site.
‘All 41 people will return safely’
Referring to the safety of workers, he said, “The auger machine is facing difficulties, so we are rethinking our way of working.” I am confident that all 41 people will return.” When Dix was asked to give a timeline in this regard, he said, “I have always promised that they will be home by Christmas.” In fact, according to multi-agency efforts. On the 14th day of the rescue operation, officials focused on two options – hand drilling into the remaining 10 or 12 meters of debris or drilling 86 meters below the top.
Further drilling will be done by hand!
Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lieutenant General (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain told reporters in New Delhi, “This operation may take a long time.” Under this, the workers will enter the 47-meter portion of the rescue route dug so far and will do ‘drilling’ at a limited place for a short period and after coming out, someone else will start doing this work.