Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Drilling to evacuate trapped workers halted again

In a fresh setback, the efforts to drill through the debris of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel were once again halted as the platform supporting the equipment developed cracks causing a pause in the ongoing mission to rescue the 41 workers trapped within, reported PTI quoting officials.

The rescue team will work on stabilising the platform, which holds the 25-tonne auger machine, before resuming the drilling operation.

The objective is to insert sections of steel pipes through the collapsed rubble to facilitate the extraction of the workers who have been trapped for 11 days.


Earlier on Thursday evening, Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), said that, "workers who have been trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel for the past 11 days are anticipated to be rescued in the coming hours or possibly by tomorrow."

Hasnain expressed optimism, stating, "I expect that in the next few hours or by tomorrow, we will be successful in this operation," during a media briefing.

He acknowledged that the horizontal drilling for the rescue operation might encounter 3-4 additional obstacles but cautioned against speculating on the timeline, likening it to the uncertainties faced in a war-like situation.