Saturday marked the 14th day since 41 laborers became trapped in an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand after a collapse. The rescue operation, which started immediately after the collapse, has faced numerous challenges, causing delays in the efforts to save the trapped workers. The American drilling machine, which broke down for the third time on Friday, will be extracted from the tunnel on Sunday before the rescue operation resumes. The National Disaster Management Authority member, Lt Gen (retd), stated that the operation could take a long time due to the unpredictable nature of working on a mountain.
The timeline of the rescue operation shows various moments of hope and setbacks. On November 12, the collapse occurred, trapping the laborers. The next day, contact was established, and the workers were reported to be safe. Officials hoped to rescue them by evening, but falling debris caused delays. On November 14, steel pipes and an auger machine were brought in, and the workers were expected to be evacuated by November 15. However, a fresh landslide damaged the platform for the auger machine, causing further delays.
On November 15, protests erupted at the site due to the delay in rescuing the trapped laborers. Union Minister VK Singh visited the site on November 16 and estimated that it could take two to three more days to complete the rescue operation. The American auger machine started working on November 17 but had to halt due to a cracking sound. Another auger machine was airlifted on November 18, and a high-level meeting explored various rescue options.
Drilling remained suspended on November 19, as officials considered creating a hole from the top of the hill to reach the workers. On November 20, a pipeline was pushed through the rubble to provide the workers with a hot meal. Visuals of the workers were captured on November 21, bringing reassurance to both the workers and officials. On November 22, hopes were high that the workers would be rescued by night, but another snag occurred on November 23 when the auger machine hit a metal pipe. As of November 24, officials estimated that only 10-12 meters of drilling remained, and pushing in two more pipes could be enough to reach the laborers.
Despite the setbacks, rescue teams remain committed to saving the trapped workers, and efforts will continue until they are successfully evacuated.
