Tunnel rescue ops: Auger blades stuck in rubble, plasma cutter being brought from Hyd

DEHRADUN: The rescue operation was halted on Saturday on the 14th day to bring out 41 trapped workers from the Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel after the blades of the auger machine blades got stuck in the rubble.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the auger machine's blades are stuck inside the rubble and plasma cutters are being brought from Hyderabad.

“As you all know that this rescue operation is going on in very harsh and tough conditions and after reaching close the machine got stuck,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told media persons at the rescue operation site near the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi area.

He said that earlier, the rescuers were cutting meter by meter, and now over 20 meter has been taken out. “And 20 to 25 meter is yet to be done. We are expecting that this machine will come out and then we will move forward manually,” the Chief Minister said.

He said that he has spoken to the workers trapped inside and they are in good condition and their moral is high.

Giving the details of the another option to rescue the 41 trapped workers from the collapsed tunnel, Dhami said, “We are working on all options and now from Hyderabad, we are bringing another machine called Plasma Cutter, which will arrive at Jolly Grant airport in the evening and by night it will reach here and then we can soon start the cutting work.”

He said that all people are putting their efforts to rescue the trapped and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking all updates and all agencies are working hard and we are hopeful that the operation will be completed at the earliest.

Relief and rescue work, which entered the 14th day, is being carried out by scientists, international experts, NDRF, SDRF, BRO on a war footing.

On November 12, an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi leaving 41 workers trapped.