41 trapped workers to see light at the end of Uttarkashi tunnel today, after 11-day nightmare
A team of seven experts from Delhi has joined the efforts. Photo: Press Trust of India
In the early hours of Thursday, November 23, the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation reached its final leg, with the last pipe being pushed into the rubble. With just 18 metres to get to the 41 trapped workers, hopes are high with 41 ambulances lined up to attend to the workers after their recovery.
Citing an electrician on-site, PTI reported, "The last pipe is being laid."
VIDEO | A batch of rescuers carrying ropes and other equipment enter the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand as the effort to rescue 41 trapped workers enters the last stage. #UttarakhandTunnelCollapse pic.twitter.com/AtMZ9kIPqc
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 23, 2023
Overcome hurdles
- According to the PTI, the workers, trapped since Sunday, November 12 are expected to be rescued today through the horizontal drilling of 800 mm diameter steel pipes.
- The drilling process faced an obstacle on Wednesday night when iron rods impeded the Auger machine's progress.
- According to Harpal Singh, a rescue officer, the expected time to reach the trapped workers was 8 am on Wednesday.
- The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel were roped in to cut through the rods.
- NDRF personnel also fixed bearings and wheels onto stretchers, to facilitate the extraction of the workers who wouldn't be able to crawl through, reported India Today.
- A wider pipeline, with an endoscopic flexi camera, provided crucial visuals of the trapped workers on Wednesday, November 22.
VIDEO | "Hope they will be out today. We will celebrate our Diwali, Chhath only after they are rescued safely."
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 23, 2023
Relatives of workers stuck inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand express hope that the effort to rescue all the 41 workers will conclude… pic.twitter.com/NEzgZtUJYK
A team of seven experts from Delhi has joined the efforts, aiming to expedite the operation, reported India Today.
Medical facilities and infrastructure in place
- Arrangements for immediate medical care post-evacuation are in place too.
- "All arrangements have been made to provide immediate medical care to the workers after they are evacuated," officials assured.
VIDEO | Medical equipment reach the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand continue. According to officials, the workers are expected to be pulled out from the collapsed tunnel today.#UttarakhandTunnelRescue pic.twitter.com/k6aRsPX6WA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 23, 202
- In preparation for the workers' evacuation, a 41-bed ward has also been established at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur, reported PTI.
- Ambulances stand by outside the tunnel, ready to transport evacuees to the medical facility.
Close monitoring
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been actively monitoring the situation and speaking with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
सिलक्यारा टनल में फँसे श्रमिकों को सुरक्षित बाहर निकालने के लिए युद्ध स्तर पर जारी रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन के स्थलीय निरीक्षण हेतु उत्तरकाशी पहुँच रहा हूँ।
— Pushkar Singh Dhami (@pushkardhami) November 22, 202
- The Prime Minister inquired about essential provisions for the trapped workers and expressed his concern, reported India Today