Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescue ops to evacuate 41 trapped workers resumes

The drilling activities had been temporarily halted due to a loud cracking sound detected in the tunnel at around 2:45 pm on Friday.

A section of the tunnel, a unit of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed on Sunday due to a landslide. The collapsed portion, measuring 30 meters, is located 270 meters from the tunnel's entrance on the Silkyara side.

According to an India Today report, the co-workers of the trapped workers expressed anger with the rescue operation, demanding that the company and its General Manager should be held accountable for the ongoing crisis.

The workers, currently stranded behind 60 meters of debris, are receiving essential supplies through pipes, and there is continuous communication with them, according to officials. Up to this point, rescue teams have managed to clear only 24 meters of rubble from the collapsed tunnel.

The co-workers said the tunnel should be cut to reach the trapped workers, asserting that it was virtually impossible for them to sustain themselves just on water and grams.

The rescue operations at the Uttarkashi tunnel, where 41 workers are trapped, encountered a brief interruption on Friday afternoon, as debris once again collapsed towards the drilling machine during the insertion of the fifth tube into the tunnel.

As a precautionary measure, rescue workers inside the tunnel were evacuated immediately, resulting in a temporary suspension of operations for nearly an hour.

The rescue strategy involves inserting six-meter segments of steel pipes one after the other as the drilling machine progresses through the debris. Each pipe has a diameter of either 800 or 900 mm. Currently, a specialised team is examining the upper part of the tunnel to assess the feasibility of vertical drilling.

In case horizontal drilling in front of the tunnel proves ineffective, contingency plans include exploring the option of reaching the trapped workers by drilling from the top of the mountain.

Relatives of the workers stranded in the tunnel and representatives from their home states have been visiting the rescue site. They are allowed to communicate with the trapped workers through a pipe that extends through the rubble.

However, one family, in particular, expressed concern, stating that they have been unable to establish contact with Sonu Shah, a resident of Bihar, since the tunnel collapse, according to the report.

The continuous rescue efforts are being executed round-the-clock by a team of 165 personnel from various agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Border Roads Organisation, and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, as reported by the State Emergency Operation Centre.