Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue op again halted due to technical snag, further delay in evacuation process

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: The Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation of the 41 workers trapped in a portion of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, which collapsed over a week ago, has been put on hold again after a technical glitch was faced by the rescue team on Friday evening.

The drilling by the American-made auger machine to rescue the trapped workers was halted after the rescue team faced a technical glitch.

Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami informed that the rescue operation to extricate 41 workers trapped in a portion of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi is "in its final stage," adding that both the central and state government agencies are working together.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is taking all the updates regarding the rescue operation being carried out at the Silkyara tunnel.

"The rescue operation is in its last stage. PM Modi is taking all the updates about the difficulties that workers might face and discussing the solutions. Both the central and state government agencies are working together on the rescue operation. We hope that soon this operation will be completed and all the workers will come out," CM Dhami said.

Meanwhile, Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed on Friday said that the auger drilling machine, which developed some cracks on Thursday, has been reassembled and they hope to push the pipe further this time with no obstacles.

"The auger drilling machine has been reassembled. A new pipe will be put in after the welding, which will take two hours. After two hours, we will push the pipe inside the tunnel. We hope that we push the pipe further this time and will face no obstacles," Additional Secretary Ahmed said.

The platform developed some cracks while the rescue operation was underway on Thursday and the process of horizontal drilling through the debris had to be halted as a result.

The collapse occurred on November 12 during the construction of a tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot, trapping 41 labourers due to a muck fall in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. 

Local communities and relatives of the trapped workers continue to offer prayers at a temple erected near the tunnel entrance, where the relentless rescue operations persist.

The tunnel under construction holds significance as part of the expansive Char Dham project, a national initiative aimed at bolstering connectivity to revered Hindu pilgrimage sites like Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri 

- With inputs from agencies

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