Express News Service
DEHRADUN: The ongoing efforts by Indian and international experts to rescue 41 labourers trapped in a collapsed section of the Silkiara tunnel following a landslide in the early hours of Diwali seem to be moving forward. On Tuesday, rescue teams were successful in resuming the work of laying rescue 800 mm pipes through already laid 900 mm hume pipes, called the telescopic method.
In addition, the work on the 900 mm pipe being drilled inside the tunnel by Auger machines, which was halted for three days, resumed on Tuesday. The new action plan involves inserting 800 mm pipes into the 900 mm pipes. Engineers are hopeful that significant progress can be made in the next 24 hours.
On the tenth day of the rescue operation, all the stranded labourers appeared to be healthy and safe in the communication done by inserting endoscopic flexi cameras brought from Delhi into the tunnel.
All the agencies involved in the rescue operation and the district administration are enthused by the successful insertion of a six-inch new lifeline pipe to supply food inside the tunnel, through which additional fruits and food items were successfully delivered to the labourers on Tuesday.
Uttarakhand Government Secretary Dr Neeraj Khairwal, who has been made the nodal officer for this relief and rescue operation by the state government, said, “Evacuating all the people safely is our priority and all agencies are working 24 hours in this direction.”
According to a source at the Silkiara rescue camp, “In addition, THDC has started construction of a rescue tunnel from the Badkot end, in which two explosions have already been completed. SJVNL’s machine for vertical rescue tunnel construction has reached the site, installation is currently underway.”
Col Deepak Patil, who is in charge of rescue operations at the Silkiyara tunnel, told , “Drilling work has started in the tunnel from the Badkot end as well. For this, a team of eight people from the THDC has arrived. A tunnel of two to two-and-a-half metres diameter will be prepared from here.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory asking TV channels “not to sensationalize the Silkiara tunnel collapse incident”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday once again enquired about the well-being of the stranded labourers over the phone from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and assured all possible help.
Meanwhile, an expert team of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL), which evacuated labourers from the tunnel of Kiratpur-Narchok-Manali four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh, has reached Silkiyara. A team official said, “Within two to three days of the machine setup, about 90 metres of drilling will be done to bring the laborers out safely.”
In 2015, two labourers were trapped in a tunnel on the Kiratpur-Manali highway after an accident. The company’s GM Jaswant Kapoor said, “Two laborers were trapped in that accident. To save them, SJVNL had installed a drill machine on top of the tunnel, so that after drilling for about 47 metres, they reached the laborers.”
ALSO READ | Rescuers release first video of workers trapped inside collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel Follow channel on WhatsApp
DEHRADUN: The ongoing efforts by Indian and international experts to rescue 41 labourers trapped in a collapsed section of the Silkiara tunnel following a landslide in the early hours of Diwali seem to be moving forward. On Tuesday, rescue teams were successful in resuming the work of laying rescue 800 mm pipes through already laid 900 mm hume pipes, called the telescopic method.
In addition, the work on the 900 mm pipe being drilled inside the tunnel by Auger machines, which was halted for three days, resumed on Tuesday. The new action plan involves inserting 800 mm pipes into the 900 mm pipes. Engineers are hopeful that significant progress can be made in the next 24 hours.
On the tenth day of the rescue operation, all the stranded labourers appeared to be healthy and safe in the communication done by inserting endoscopic flexi cameras brought from Delhi into the tunnel.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
All the agencies involved in the rescue operation and the district administration are enthused by the successful insertion of a six-inch new lifeline pipe to supply food inside the tunnel, through which additional fruits and food items were successfully delivered to the labourers on Tuesday.
Uttarakhand Government Secretary Dr Neeraj Khairwal, who has been made the nodal officer for this relief and rescue operation by the state government, said, “Evacuating all the people safely is our priority and all agencies are working 24 hours in this direction.”
According to a source at the Silkiara rescue camp, “In addition, THDC has started construction of a rescue tunnel from the Badkot end, in which two explosions have already been completed. SJVNL’s machine for vertical rescue tunnel construction has reached the site, installation is currently underway.”
Col Deepak Patil, who is in charge of rescue operations at the Silkiyara tunnel, told , “Drilling work has started in the tunnel from the Badkot end as well. For this, a team of eight people from the THDC has arrived. A tunnel of two to two-and-a-half metres diameter will be prepared from here.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued an advisory asking TV channels “not to sensationalize the Silkiara tunnel collapse incident”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday once again enquired about the well-being of the stranded labourers over the phone from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and assured all possible help.
Meanwhile, an expert team of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL), which evacuated labourers from the tunnel of Kiratpur-Narchok-Manali four-lane highway in Himachal Pradesh, has reached Silkiyara. A team official said, “Within two to three days of the machine setup, about 90 metres of drilling will be done to bring the laborers out safely.”
In 2015, two labourers were trapped in a tunnel on the Kiratpur-Manali highway after an accident. The company’s GM Jaswant Kapoor said, “Two laborers were trapped in that accident. To save them, SJVNL had installed a drill machine on top of the tunnel, so that after drilling for about 47 metres, they reached the laborers.”
ALSO READ | Rescuers release first video of workers trapped inside collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel Follow channel on WhatsApp
