After being trapped for 16 days and over 380 hours, the 41 workers stuck in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand may have to wait even longer for their rescue. The vertical drilling operations, which began yesterday from above the collapsed section of the tunnel, have made progress, with rescuers penetrating almost 20 meters into the mountainside. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) managing director, Mahmood Ahmed, stated that the drilling process should be completed by Thursday, as long as no unexpected obstacles arise.
During the vertical boring operation, workers are carefully inserting 700-mm wide pipes to create a secure passage for those trapped inside the tunnel. Simultaneously, a 200-mm probe is being pushed in, which has reached the 70-meter mark. However, the heavy auger drill that was brought in from the US to break through the debris was damaged on Friday and is now being removed. The remaining 10-15 meters will have to be manually broken using hand-held power tools, which is a time-consuming process. Workers equipped with a steel chute are entering the unfinished escape passage to dismantle the jammed auger blades and shaft.
On Sunday morning, a plasma cutter and a team of specialists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Army engineers arrived at the scene to assist with the extraction of the auger shaft. By the evening, the extraction had nearly been completed, with only a final 8.15-meter segment remaining.
The next step in the rescue operation involves manual drilling to remove the remaining 10 to 12 meters of debris. One worker will enter the steel chute and operate a drill, while another worker will use a pulley system to remove the resulting debris. Rescue officials are also considering other extraction plans.
Additionally, rescue workers will begin excavating a horizontal 180-meter alternate escape tunnel starting from Tuesday. This process could take 12-14 days to complete, with about 10 meters out of 483 meters already drilled at the Barkot-end of the tunnel. Officials estimate that this strategy could take up to 40 days of drilling.
The trapped workers, who are located within a structurally stable 2-kilometer segment of the tunnel, are receiving food, medical supplies, and other items through a six-inch wide pipe. A communication network has also been established to allow the workers to communicate with their families.
At the tunnel’s entrance, 41 ambulances are on standby to transport the workers to the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre. A designated ward with 41 oxygen-equipped beds has been set up to provide prompt medical care to each worker.
The Silkyara tunnel, situated about 30 km from Uttarkashi and a seven-hour drive from Dehradun, is an important part of the central government’s Char Dham all-weather road project.
