10 Facts About Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Hospital and Chopper on Standby Anytime

Forty-one labourers who have been trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand for 17 days are expected to be rescued soon. The breakthrough came after “rat miners” were brought in to manually dig the last 12 meters of the tunnel. Only two meters are left for the rat miners to dig before the evacuation process can begin. The workers are proceeding slowly and taking all safety measures.

Elaborate preparations have been made for the rescue operation. A temporary hospital has been set up inside the tunnel to acclimatize the workers to the outside weather, and an Air Force Chinook chopper is on standby for emergencies. Chief Minister Pushkar Sing Dhami is present at the scene.

The rat miners are experienced labourers who are used to drilling narrow shafts as part of a primitive and currently illegal method of coal extraction. They were brought in to manually dig through the tough rocks that the American Augur drill and other devices were unable to handle.

Manual drilling is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. The rat-hole miners had to go through an 800 mm pipe, drill manually, and remove the debris using shovels.

The American Auger drill, which drilled around 46.8 meters, had to be withdrawn as its blades got fouled up by the rocky debris and iron rods in the tunnel ceiling.

The tunnel collapse occurred on November 12, trapping the 41 labourers in a 400-meter buffer zone. Rescue workers have been providing them with food, water, medical supplies, and other essentials through pipes. A pipe already in place in the tunnel has been supplying the area with fresh oxygen.

Videos from the scene show large piles of concrete blocking the tunnel, with twisted metal bars from the broken roof scattered among them. The rubble has been hindering the rescue efforts of multiple agencies equipped with various drilling equipment and excavators for over two weeks. The unplastered roof of the tunnel has also been a challenge, as rocks frequently fall from it, impeding the progress of the rescuers.

The 4.5-kilometer tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway is part of the Chardham project and will connect Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi. Once completed, it is expected to reduce the distance by 26 kilometers.