Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse Latest Updates: After 12 days of the incident, the 41 workers who were trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand are most likely to be rescued by today. A rescue official said that only 12 meters of rock and debris are separate from the trapped group. Also, the Ambulances are on standby and a special ward at a local health center is already kept ready.
Uttarkashi Tunnel Incident: This incident which took place on 12 November 2023 in a part of the Silkyara Bend Barkot tunnel which was under construction collapsed in the Uttarkashi the district state of Uttarakhand in India. This incident happened around 5.30 am IST in the morning. This collapse captured the 41 worker who was inside the tunnel. After that rescue operation team was instantly begun which was led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and also the police force.
Then the next day in the evening, the rescue operation team got the breakthrough after the rescue team was able to push the six-inch diameter pipe through the detritus to inside the tunnel. With that, the officials also dropped a small camera which was attached to a bandable cable into the pipe and used it to record the trapped men. So that rescuers can see all the information inside the tunnel. After the contact with the trapped men was entrenched they were provided all the necessary resources like oxygen, food, and water since then.
After officials inserted the new pipe in the tunnel which was larger than the four-inch diameter pipe, after the hour of a part of it caved in on 12 November 2023, Because of the restriction of the pipe, only certain snacks and dry fruits could be given to the workers so far. The pipe was also used to supply the oxygen to them.
On installing the new pipe officials said that this wider pipe would help to supply the workers with more oxygen, food, and other crucial resources like medicines, mobile phones, and mobile chargers.
Now the operation, which is going on its Tenth day on Tuesday, has faced several delays and obstacles essentially due to loose soil and falling detritus. Now the rescue team is planning to dig a hole that will be wide enough to allow the multiple 900mm pipes to create a path through which the workers can come out of the tunnel.
Moreover, the officials said that they were attempting to dig two more tunnels by the side of the main tunnel as additional escape routes.
So far four 900mm pipes have been pushed through the detritus wall, which is approximately 60 meters so that they can create the main passage of the exit. Then on Tuesday, welding work on the fifth pipe has been started.
And In this Sunday, Road Minister Nitin Gadkari visited the tunnel site and said that the rescue operations could go on for two or three days.