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PremiumUttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: At least 40 workers are trapped inside the partially collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The tunnel partially collapsed on 12 November. A US-made auger machine had been deployed to drill and push in pipes to save the developed snag, thereby halting the rescue process.
Around 2.45 pm on Friday, during the positioning of the fifth pipe, a loud cracking sound was heard in the tunnel after which the rescue operation was suspended, a statement issued by the NHIDCL late on Friday night said.
The 4531-metre Silkyara Tunnel is part of the Chardham Project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and will link the Gangotri and Yamunotri axis under the Radi pass area.
Catch updates of the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse rescue operation with Livemint
The rescue team pushed in a six-inch wide tube up to 39 metres stretch into the rubble on Sunday. Successfull placement of the tube will ensure another route for sending food and water to the trapped workers.
The Road, Transport and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain on Sunday said that the government has undertaken a five-option action plan to rescue the workers trapped at Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi, since November 12.
No drilling had begun at the site till Sunday as the rescue teams continued to work simultaneously on different plans for the safe rescue of workers trapped in the collapse tunnel. The rescue team is preparing to restart the auger machine to bore through thee rubble and insert large diametre steel pipes to prepare an escape route for trapped workers, an official told ANI.
There is a high chance of further collapse in the vicinity of the tunnel, warned an expert involved in the rescue operation. Subsequently, the pipe-pushing activity was stopped on Friday.
In the ongoing rescue operation of tunnel workers, around 6 agencies are engaged on different roles at the accident site. ONGC, RVNL, Satluj Jal Vikas Nigam Ltd, BRO and state PWD, besides NHIDCL, will be the agencies carrying out different responsibilities to establish early access to the trapped workers.
Along with food and water, multivitamins, antidepressants are also being sent to workers trapped inside the under-construction tunnel at Silkyara in Uttarkashi, said an official.
Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha on Sunday said that the rescue team is planning to send a robot inside the tunnel to analyse how much space is available. Based on the analysis, the team will decide if it can send a pipe for life support.
"If there is more space there, we can rescue people from there," Sinha said.
After Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's on-site inspection at the Uttarkashi tunnel on Sunday, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha said that a 900 mm diameter pipe is being inserted with the help of an Auger machine.
"We are inserting a 900-mm-diameter pipe with the help of the Auger machine. We have reached 22 meters and we are going ahead rapidly," Sinha said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.
"There is light and ample space inside the tunnel and the victims are able to move around; the communication line is on," Gadkari told reporters, after visiting the accident site in Uttarakhand.
After visiting the tunnel collapse site, Union Minister Nitin Gadkri said that if everything goes as per plan, rescuers will be able to reach the trapped victims in another two or two and a half days.
"If the auger machine works properly, we will be able to reach them (victims) in the next 2 to 2.5 days," Gadkari told the reporters from the tunnel site. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also accompanied the Union minister.
The rescue team is considering opening a vertical shaft to free 41 men trapped in a collapsed tunnel, after drilling site was paused over fears of further cave-ins.
Two NDRF teams are present at the accident site. The teams have cutting equipment, and oxy-cutting machines are available and are trying to reach the victims as soon as possible, said NDRF Second-In-Command Ravishankar Badhani on Sunday.
“We are ready for any situation. If the victims are not able to move, we have also modified our stretchers. Now, we are preparing according to the new approach of the vertical and the parallel drilling," he told ANI.
Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha on Sunday said that rescue work is going forward in full speed. He also threw light upon possible plans that can be executed to rescue the trapped workers.
“There is a lifeline pipe for sending food and other necessary items. We are inserting another pipe above it because there was less debris there. There we have gone till 42 meters and only a few meters are left. We will have another pipe for life support when that becomes ready," he told ANI.
Amid the ongoing rescue operation of trapped workers, the NDRF is working with equipment to carry out the rescue operations at the Silkyara Tunnel.
The 41 workers trapped for the past seven days in Uttarkashi tunnel are receiving essential edibles like multivitamins, antidepressants and dry fruits by the rescue team, Road, Transport and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain said on Sunday.
"Fortunately, there is light inside because the electricity is on. There is a pipeline, and thus water is available. There is a 4-inch pipe, which was used for compression. Through that, we are sending food from day 1," he said.
As rescue operations continue for eight days to save the 40 trapped workers at Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways Anurag Jain announced on Sunday the decision to take up a five-option action plan.
The government has taken a decision to work on all fronts to save the precious lives of the labourers trapped in the tunnel at Silkyara, Jain told ANI.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says "From the last 7-8 days, we are trying everything possible to rescue the victims. It is the priority of the Uttarakhand Govt and the Govt of India to bring them out as early as possible. We had a 2-hour long meeting with the concerned officers working here. We are working on 6 alternate options and different agencies of Govt of India are working here. Special attention is being given from the PMO as well. Tunnel experts and BRO officials have also been called. Our first priority is to provide food, medicine and oxygen to the stranded victims..."
On the Uttarkashi Tunel incident, Secretary, Ministry of Road and Transport Anurag Jain says, "...Fortunately, this 2 km is a finished part of the tunnel... In this particular portion, there is water and electricity. Now the main thing is food, so for it there is one pipeline here of 4 inches through that we can send some dry fruits... We are sending some medicines, anti-depressants, and others as advised... Workers are coordinating with us...
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari held a review meeting and took stock of the ongoing relief and rescue work.
Amid the ongoing efforts to rescue the 40 workers trapped in the Uttarkashi tunnel, a portion of which caved in earlier, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the scene to review the ongoing rescue and relief operation.
They were accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Secretary SS Sandhu at Silkyara.
Efforts were underway on Sunday to build an access road at the top of the hill above Silkyara tunnel for initiating vertical drilling to reach 41 workers trapped for seven days, with authorities hopeful that a platform to drill the hole might be ready by this afternoon.
Larger diameter pipes have also been inserted up to a length of 42 metres through the debris this morning to provide enough food and other essentials to the trapped workers, a control room set up at the site said.
Rescuers use a digger to make a path at the top of the mountain as part of an alternate plan to reach the workers trapped in a tunnel after a portion of it collapsed, in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 18, 2023.
A new auger machine arrives at the site where road workers are trapped in a tunnel after a portion of it collapsed, in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 18, 2023.
Efforts were underway on Sunday to build an access road at the top of the hill above Silkyara tunnel for initiating vertical drilling to reach 41 workers trapped for seven days, with authorities hopeful that a platform to drill the hole might be ready by this afternoon.
Larger diameter pipes have also been inserted up to a length of 42 metres through the debris this morning to provide enough food and other essentials to the trapped workers, a control room set up at the site said.
Officials trying to reach 41 workers who have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for eight days were contemplating alternative rescue plans Sunday after snags with a drilling machine caused them to halt digging.
A new drilling machine arrived at the accident site in Uttarakhand state on Saturday to replace one that was damaged while breaking through the rocks and debris. They had been using the drill to create a space to insert wide pipes through which the trapped workers could crawl to their freedom.
Chris Cooper, a micro tunnelling expert arrived at the Silkyara tunnel incident site on Saturday to monitor the rescue operation.
Chris Cooper is a Chartered Engineer with an experienced track record for delivery of Major International key civil engineering infrastructure, Metro tunnels, Large Caverns, Dams, Railway, and Mining Projects.
Cooper who is also a consultant for the Rishikesh Karnprayag rail project has reached the site to monitor the rescue operation of 40 workers trapped inside the tunnel for six days now.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting with senior officials on Saturday and announced that the state government would provide accommodation, food and health facilities to the families of the workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel, located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road.
According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "Chief Minister Dhami said that the state government will provide accommodation, food and health facilities to the families of the workers."
As the rescue operation to save 40 trapped workers at Uttarkashi tunnel continues for the seventh day, the Indian Army has now been deployed in the rescue process.
The Army has been tasked with constructing a track to the top of the hill so that the option of reaching out to trapped workers through vertical drilling can be availed of.
The Union government on Saturday held a high-level meeting to discuss various options to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside a partially collapsed tunnel at Silkyara in Uttarakhand, with different agencies assigned with specific alternatives to work on, sources said.
Based on technical advice, five rescue options were explored at the meeting.
"NHIDCL, ONGC, SJVNL, THDC and RVNL have been assigned one option each. The BRO and the construction wing of the Indian Army have also been assisting in the rescue operation," an official said.
The administration is looking to deploy tree-cutting expert as part of the ongoing recuse operation rescue operation of 40 workers trapped inside the tunnel for six days now.
A tree-cutting expert named Ashiq Hussain has been called by the Forest Department to Silkyara Tunnel and tree-cutting work is expected to start shortly.
The rescue operation to save 40 trapped workers continues after the under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed in the early hours of November 12.
In a desperate fight to beat the ticking clock, officials on Saturday began preparations to drill a vertical hole from the top of the hill under which 41 workers have been trapped inside a collapsed tunnel for seven days with limited food and communication.
As the sun slipped behind the mountains and night fell on another day gone by, officials held out the hope that the Border Roads Organisations (BRO) road to create an alternative route to the under-construction Silkyara tunnel would be ready by Sunday afternoon and the rescue mission that had been stalled since Friday could finally resume.
Amid the ongoing efforts to rescue the workers trapped in the Uttarkashi tunnel, a portion of which caved in earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will on Sunday conduct an on-site inspection of the operations, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) informed through an official release.
The CM will be accompanied by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to the tunnel site on Sunday.
"Along with the Chief Minister, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is also arriving to take stock of the relief and rescue work," the CMO added in its statement.
Amid the ongoing efforts to rescue the workers trapped in the Uttarkashi tunnel, a portion of which caved in earlier, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will on Sunday conduct an on-site inspection of the operations, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) informed through an official release.
The CM will be accompanied by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to the tunnel site on Sunday.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the authorities concerned, including the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), on a petition claiming lack of some protection works on the Gangotri National Highway in Uttarkashi district of Uttrakhand.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting with senior officials on Saturday and announced that the state government would provide accommodation, food and health facilities to the families of the workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel, located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road.
The Jharkhand government on Friday sent a team of officials to Silkyara to enquire about the wellbeing of workers from the state who are among the 40 labourers trapped in the collapsed part of an under-construction tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway.
The three-member team led by IAS officer Bhuvanesh Pratap Singh spoke to Vishwajeet and Subodh -- two labourers from Jharkhand -- through a pipe and enquired about their wellbeing.
Former Prime Minister Office (PMO) advisor Bhaskar Khulbe on Saturday said that teams deployed at the Silkyara tunnel require a coordinated action for the rescue operation which is underway at the site adding that multiple options are being explored to save their lives.
Speaking to ANI, Bhaskar Khulbe said, "We are exploring as many options as possible to rescue workers. It is our priority to reach those who are stuck for days here. We don't lack any resources, options and ideas, we just need some coordinated action and we are trying to make teams and reach there somehow.
The work to rescue the 40 people trapped in the Silkyara tunnel has been halted since 17 November, after the machine developed a technical snag. The ongoing drilling work to reach the 40 trapped workers inside the Silkyara tunnel was halted on Saturday after the rescuers bored 25 meters into the rubble, a top official said.
As the rescue operation to save 40 trapped workers at Uttarkashi tunnel continues for the seventh day, the Indian Army has now been deployed in the rescue process.
The Army has been tasked with constructing a track to the top of the hill so that the option of reaching out to trapped workers through vertical drilling can be availed of.
Forty-one workers remained trapped in a collapsed road tunnel in northern India for a seventh day Saturday as a new drilling machine arrived on site to replace the damaged one.
The nature of the exceptionally hard rock formation in the area coupled with the clearing of debris damaged the original machine and paused rescue efforts on Friday, according to officials. This added a new challenge to the long-drawn rescue efforts.
With time running out, officials on Saturday began preparations to drill a vertical hole from the top of the hill under which 41 workers have been trapped inside a collapsed tunnel for seven days with limited food and communication.
The Union government on Saturday held a high-level meeting to discuss various options to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside a partially collapsed tunnel at Silkyara in Uttarakhand, with different agencies assigned with specific alternatives to work on, sources said.
Based on technical advice, five rescue options were explored at the meeting.
As the rescue operation to save 41 trapped workers at Uttarkashi tunnel continues for the seventh day, the rescue team began the operation to insert the pipe inside the tunnel.
The team is trying to insert the 6-inch-diameter pipe instead of the 4-inch-diameter inch through which the supply of food and supplements will be maintained.
With time running out, officials on Saturday began preparations to drill a vertical hole from the top of the hill under which 41 workers have been trapped inside a collapsed tunnel for seven days with limited food and communication.
The administration is looking to deploy tree-cutting expert as part of the ongoing recuse operation rescue operation of 40 workers trapped inside the tunnel for six days now.
A tree-cutting expert named Ashiq Hussain has been called by the Forest Department to Silkyara Tunnel and tree-cutting work is expected to start shortly.
Also, the administration is trying to reach the workers through vertical drilling from the upper part of the tunnel spot right above the tunnel has been identified and marked.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting with senior officials on Saturday and announced that the state government would provide accommodation, food and health facilities to the families of the workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel, located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road.
According to an official release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), "Chief Minister Dhami said that the state government will provide accommodation, food and health facilities to the families of the workers."
Former Prime Minister Office (PMO) advisor Bhaskar Khulbe on Saturday said that teams deployed at the Silkyara tunnel require a coordinated action for the rescue operation which is underway at the site adding that multiple options are being explored to save their lives.
Their voices are getting weaker, their strength seemingly dimming, those keeping vigil outside the Silkyara tunnel here said on Saturday after speaking to their relatives trapped inside for seven days – and counting.
The under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route collapsed on Sunday morning with 41 labourers inside it.
