The ongoing rescue operation to save the 41 laborers trapped in the Uttarkashi tunnel has reached its final stage. Today is the 12th day of the incident of laborers getting stuck in the tunnel.
Officials say rescue workers drilling into the debris in the tunnel are close to reaching them.
Girish Singh Rawat, a member of the Uttarkashi rescue operation team said, “The rescue operation is almost in its final stages, I hope the results will come in 1-2 hours. The pipeline is being laid to evacuate the workers. The pieces of steel stuck in the debris have been cut and removed. “The problem has been solved. The process of laying the pipeline is going on. We are working to bring electricity into the tunnel.”
Silkyara Tunnel PRO said that the debris contained large yards of metal which was a difficult task to cut. It can cut small pieces of metal. But they need heavy machinery to cut large yards of metal. Work should start soon.
Welding experts have been called from Delhi to the Silkyara tunnel site where rescue operations are underway to evacuate the trapped workers.
Bhaskar Khulbe, former adviser to the Prime Minister’s Office, has reached the Silkyara tunnel site this morning (November 23).
On Wednesday (November 22) evening, officials said they were confident the workers would be freed by Thursday afternoon.
On November 12, while workers were constructing the tunnel, a landslide caused part of it to collapse.
The authorities had established contact with the workers trapped in the tunnel within hours.
Oxygen, food and water were delivered through pipelines to the laborers trapped in the tunnel. He said that the officials are giving regular updates in this matter and the rescue work is in the final stage.
But the family and friends of the workers are worried and angry. They wonder why it is taking so long to remove the labourers
On Monday (November 20), workers inserted the endoscopic camera into the new pipe and got the first video. The authorities asked them to identify themselves on camera and assured them that they would be released soon. Rescuers are working on several plans to reach the workers.
The new pipe is wider, and officials say it can now supply more oxygen, food and essentials such as medicine, mobile phones and chargers. On Tuesday (November 21), the first hot meal was delivered to the workers after 10 days. A khichdi of dal and rice was packed, and a hot meal was sent to them inside the tunnel.
For the rescue of labourers, the work of setting up a temporary hospital for laborers in a community center in Chinasaur is going on fast.
An NDRF team is inside the tunnel with oxygen cylinders intact and several ambulances are parked outside.
According to an update yesterday (November 22) around 8:30 PM, 12 meters of drilling work is still pending.