Rescue Operation for 41 Trapped Workers in Uttarkashi Tunnel to be Completed Friday
The ongoing operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed portion of the Uttarkashi tunnel has entered its 13th day. The director of ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), Sanjay Bhatt, who is present at the site, has asserted that the laborers will be rescued Friday.
While speaking to the media, Bhatt expressed hope that the rescue operation will be concluded and the workers will be brought out safely the end of the day. Ambulances remained on standby, and emergency medical aid was made available at the other end of the tunnel to provide immediate assistance to the workers once they are brought out safely.
Earlier, on Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel carried out a demonstration of the movement of wheeled stretchers through the pipeline that was inserted to extricate the trapped workers. The NDRF personnel who participated in the demonstration reported that they did not experience any breathing problems during the exercise and were able to move out comfortably.
However, the drilling work at Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel was halted again after the auger machine encountered a technical snag. Bhaskar Khulbe, a former advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), explained that a 2-meter part of the inserted pipe had to be cut off due to compression caused friction while drilling.
Despite the setback, Khulbe stated that the trapped workers may still be extricated Friday, as the ground penetration radar revealed that there are no metallic obstructions in the next 5 meters inside the tunnel. The drilling is expected to resume smoothly once the debris is removed. (ANI)