Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescue operation halted after snag in Auger drilling machine
During the rescue operation of the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse, the drilling machine experienced a snag once again on Thursday evening.
Uttarkashi: During the rescue operation of the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse incident, the Auger machine drilling through the debris experienced a snag once again on Thursday evening. So far, the rescue team has drilled up to 46.8 meters into the tunnel.
The rescue operation is likely to resume at 9 AM on Friday. It is to be noted that drone technology is also being used in the rescue operation. Infra Mining Pvt Ltd CEO and MD Cyriac Joseph said that this drone is one of the latest technologies which can go inside the tunnel, even into the GPS denied areas.
On Thursday afternoon, it was reported that the rescue operation was likely to get completed within 12 hours from then. However as of the current updates, the rescue operation is likely to get completed during the morning hours of Friday.
On November 21, the first visuals of workers stuck inside Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand surfaced online. The footage was captured via an endoscopic camera. It showed the condition of the workers for the first time in ten days.
Earlier on November 12, 2023, the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse occurred in the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The area of entrapment, measuring 8.5 meters in height and 2 kilometres in length, is the built-up portion of the tunnel, offering safety to the labourers with available electricity and water supply.
On November 14, rescuers attempted ‘horizontal drilling’ and fed trapped workers with solid cooked food simultaneously. Five agencies–ONGC, SJVNL, RVNL, NHIDCL, and THDCL–have been assigned specific responsibilities, working collaboratively with occasional task adjustments for operational efficiency, the government said.
Ms Kalinga