Only little more work left: Uttarkashi District Magistrate on Silkyara tunnel rescue operation

UTTARKASHI: Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela said on Thursday morning that rescuers have drilled and considerably breached through the debris of the collapsed portion of the Silkyara tunnel to reach closer to the trapped workers.

Speaking to ANI today, the Uttarkashi District Magistrate said that only a little more work is left for the completion of the rescue operation, which has been ongoing for the past 12 days.

Rescuers, using a US auger machine, resumed drilling on Tuesday and by late night on Wednesday, drilled through 45 meters out of the 60-metre stretch of debris that blocked the Sikyara side of the under-construction tunnel stretching from Silkyara to Barkot. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami who arrived at the tunnel site today said that the rescue operation is in its final stages.

"45 meters of pipeline has been laid through auger machine. The rescue is at its final stages. There are some obstacles,. but I hope that the workers are rescued as early as possible," Dhami said.

Uttarkashi District Magistrate said, "We have covered a majority of the distance, and there now only a little more work left. Our teams are continuously trying to overcome the technical problems that we are facing. We are taking advice from experts and skilled persons, some of whom are also called to the spot. It is not possible to say when will the rescue end but the work is continuously going on and it is being monitored by the state and the central government," he said.

Ruhela further said that the central government is providing all possible help.

Meanwhile, welding experts from Delhi have reached the Silkyara tunnel as part of the rescue operation to pull out 41 trapped workers.

"The remaining 45 metres of the pipeline, which has been laid through an auger machine, there has been a slight bend in the pipes which has either been rectified or the pipeline can be extended further at the same level. Welder engineers have been called in to look at the pipe to see if the bent pipe can be repaired or an attempt can be made to move the pipe back to the same level," the Uttarkashi District Magistrate said.

Meanwhile, former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe who reached the Silkyara tunnel collapse site, said that the entire steel obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed.

"I am happy to tell you the entire steel that was obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed. We are trying to move 6 meters ahead of the 45-meter mark that we have already reached. During drilling last night work was stopped due to an an iron metal. We hope that there will be no more obstructions in our way ahead..." he said.

According to the State government official, the rescue operation is at the final stage as the trapped workers are likely to be pulled out today.

On November 12 a portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed and debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside.

The workers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion, which is complete including concrete work that provides safety to the workers.

According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 meters of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction.