Express News Service
DEHRADUN: Rescue teams and authorities have intensified operations to rescue 40 labourers stranded for the past five days after a landslide occurred in an under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Yamunotri National Highway in the early hours of Sunday.
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Gen (retd) V K Singh reached the incident site on Thursday and reviewed the ongoing rescue operation. “Rescue operations are going on, we are very hopeful, we are trying our best”, Union Minister Singh said.
Hercules aircraft of the IAF on Thursday brought three consignments of the new auger drill machine from Delhi to Chinyalisaur helipad. From there, the consignments were taken to the tunnel, which is about 35 kms from Chinyalisaur.
#WATCH | Operation is underway at Uttarakashi’s Silkyara tunnel to rescue 40 workers who are stuck inside the tunnel following a landslide pic.twitter.com/N8QltcXhww
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023
An official of the Uttarkashi district administration told this newspaper, “After the Auger machine malfunctioned during the rescue operation on Tuesday night, a new machine was sent from New Delhi to Chinyalisaur Airport by three Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force.”
The installation of the new Jack and Push Earth Auger machine at the Silkyara tunnel site has been completed. Drilling is expected to begin soon. Colonel Deepak Patil, in charge of the relief and rescue mission, told TNIE, “The US-made Jack and Push Earth Auger machine is significantly more advanced than the old machine, which will work at a much faster speed”.
“The tunnel in which the labourers are trapped is an estimated 60 metres away, where a way will be made by laying drilling pipes with the help of Auger machines”, said Colonel Patil, adding, “Our Plan ‘A’ with the old machine failed, but we are currently working on Plan ‘B’ and Plan ‘C’ is also ready”.
While technical experts are hopeful that the workers will be safely evacuated on Thursday, tunnel experts are constantly monitoring the situation through videography to check and understand the “trend and behaviour” of the rocks.
“Two people have been given the responsibility for this work, who are also monitoring the situation and rescue operation round the clock by video cameras in the tunnel,” said a worker associated with the company.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami holds a review meeting with senior officials at the State Secretariat. In this meeting, the Chief Minister is reviewing the ongoing relief and rescue work to rescue 40 labourers trapped in the tunnel for the last five days.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi tunnel incident | Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami holds a review meeting with senior officials at the State Secretariat.In this meeting, the Chief Minister is reviewing the ongoing relief and rescue work to rescue 40 labourers trapped in the… pic.twitter.com/XFUumM6Ahs
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023
Follow channel on WhatsApp
DEHRADUN: Rescue teams and authorities have intensified operations to rescue 40 labourers stranded for the past five days after a landslide occurred in an under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Yamunotri National Highway in the early hours of Sunday.
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Gen (retd) V K Singh reached the incident site on Thursday and reviewed the ongoing rescue operation. “Rescue operations are going on, we are very hopeful, we are trying our best”, Union Minister Singh said.
Hercules aircraft of the IAF on Thursday brought three consignments of the new auger drill machine from Delhi to Chinyalisaur helipad. From there, the consignments were taken to the tunnel, which is about 35 kms from Chinyalisaur. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
#WATCH | Operation is underway at Uttarakashi’s Silkyara tunnel to rescue 40 workers who are stuck inside the tunnel following a landslide pic.twitter.com/N8QltcXhww
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023
An official of the Uttarkashi district administration told this newspaper, “After the Auger machine malfunctioned during the rescue operation on Tuesday night, a new machine was sent from New Delhi to Chinyalisaur Airport by three Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force.”
The installation of the new Jack and Push Earth Auger machine at the Silkyara tunnel site has been completed. Drilling is expected to begin soon. Colonel Deepak Patil, in charge of the relief and rescue mission, told TNIE, “The US-made Jack and Push Earth Auger machine is significantly more advanced than the old machine, which will work at a much faster speed”.
“The tunnel in which the labourers are trapped is an estimated 60 metres away, where a way will be made by laying drilling pipes with the help of Auger machines”, said Colonel Patil, adding, “Our Plan ‘A’ with the old machine failed, but we are currently working on Plan ‘B’ and Plan ‘C’ is also ready”.
While technical experts are hopeful that the workers will be safely evacuated on Thursday, tunnel experts are constantly monitoring the situation through videography to check and understand the “trend and behaviour” of the rocks.
“Two people have been given the responsibility for this work, who are also monitoring the situation and rescue operation round the clock by video cameras in the tunnel,” said a worker associated with the company.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami holds a review meeting with senior officials at the State Secretariat. In this meeting, the Chief Minister is reviewing the ongoing relief and rescue work to rescue 40 labourers trapped in the tunnel for the last five days.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi tunnel incident | Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami holds a review meeting with senior officials at the State Secretariat.
In this meeting, the Chief Minister is reviewing the ongoing relief and rescue work to rescue 40 labourers trapped in the… pic.twitter.com/XFUumM6Ahs
— ANI (@ANI) November 16, 2023
Follow channel on WhatsApp
