In a significant development, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has estimated that it will take approximately 3-4 hours to safely evacuate the 41 workers trapped in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi. The Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, announced the completion of pipe-laying, signaling the imminent commencement of worker evacuation.
Rat-hole mining specialists, specially engaged for this rescue mission, have made crucial progress by initiating manual drilling through the debris. The latest updates reveal the accomplishment of manual horizontal drilling, paving the way for the impending rescue of the trapped workers.
Bansi Dhar Tiwari from the state government’s information department confirmed the completion of drilling around 1:30 pm on Tuesday. Subsequently, Chief Minister Dhami took to social media to announce the successful laying of the escape pipe into the drilled passage, expressing optimism about bringing all the workers to safety soon.
The rescue operation faced challenges when a large auger machine became stuck on Friday. In response, 12 rat-hole mining experts were assigned the task of horizontally drilling through the final 10- to 12-meter stretch of debris in the collapsed section of the under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route in Uttarakhand. This alternative drilling approach was implemented after approximately 40 per cent of the required 86-meter vertical drilling had been completed.
As the rescue efforts intensify, the successful breakthrough in manual drilling brings hope for the swift and safe evacuation of the trapped workers from the Uttarakhand tunnel.
