Vertical drilling begins to rescue trapped workers in Uttarkashi tunnel collapse
The National Disaster Management Authority on Sunday said work is underway to remove the broken parts of the auger machine and start digging by hand in the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi, meanwhile vertical drilling has also started to rescue 41 workers who have been trapped in the tunnel for the last 14 days. NDMA member Lieutenant General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told reporters here that all efforts are on to rescue the workers trapped in the tunnel. Hasnain said that the work of vertical drilling, considered the second best option, started around noon and drilling of 15 meters has been completed.
He told that after vertical drilling of 86 meters, the upper layer of the tunnel will be broken to take out the trapped workers. The NDMA member said that six plans are being implemented to save the workers, but the best option so far is horizontal drilling, under which 47 meters of drilling has been completed.
He said that during horizontal drilling, the work of taking out the broken parts of the auger machine from the tunnel is going on. The NDMA member said that plasma cutter machines are being used for this purpose.
He said that once the broken parts are removed, 15 meters of excavation will be done by hand to reach the trapped workers, although this may take time. He said that all concerned agencies are working to make the rescue operation successful.
A plasma cutter was sent from Hyderabad on Sunday to cut and remove parts of the auger machine stuck in the debris inside the Silkyara tunnel.
It was necessary for officials to completely remove the machine to resume rescue operations, which involved pushing pipes by hand through the debris to pave the way for workers to be evacuated. A part of the drill machine for vertical drilling has also been sent to the hill above the tunnel.
A unit of the Madras Sappers, an engineer group of the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers, reached the site on Sunday to assist in rescue operations.
