• Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue operation delayed due to late-night snag

    National
    Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue operation delayed due to late-night snag
    On Wednesday, the tunnel rescue effort moved into its last phase, and today the workers are expected to be pulled out.


    Digital Desk: This Friday marked day 13 of the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation, which aims to evacuate 41 workers. Another technical hitch occurred late on Thursday night during the drilling operation from the Silkyara tunnel side utilising the American-augur equipment. Nine metres remain before the guys who are trapped are reached by the rescue crew, who have already dug up to 46.8 metres.

    A representative informed the news agency ANI on Thursday that the rescue effort will begin at nine o'clock on Friday provided no new issues arose after the drilling machine's maintenance took a few hours.

    On Wednesday, the underground rescue effort reached its culmination, and today is anticipated to see the workers extracted.

    According to information obtained by India Today, the procedure of cutting the pipes that were implanted into the rubble to create a path for the stranded personnel to escape has begun. Concurrently, the augur-drilling machine's plate that developed a crack yesterday has also been repaired.

    The following are the most recent updates on the rescue efforts in the Uttarkashi tunnel: 

    • Cyriac Joseph, MD & CEO, Squadrone Infra Mining Private Limited, informed news agency ANI that a drone being used in the operation can go "inside the tunnel" and to "GPS-denied areas".

    According to him, one of the newest technologies is the drone, which can operate independently in remote locations and helps in determining if convergence is possible.

    •The Uttar Pradesh According to people with knowledge of the situation, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami would make his way back to Dehradun later today after spending the night at the tunnel site, India Today has learned.

    Dhami stated in a post on X on Thursday that he would remain at the location in a makeshift camp office that has been put up in Matali to supervise the rescue effort and make sure it doesn't interfere with his regular government duties.

    "In addition, the Egas festival, which is now observed with considerable fanfare in Uttarakhand, would not be observed. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was scheduled to attend the Egas festival today at his mansion with over a thousand guests, but he cancelled the event as well," an official statement stated on Thursday.

    • Pictures the news agency shared Food was seen being prepared for the 41 stranded employees on ANI. Food, medication, water, and other necessities have been provided to the workers by the rescue team via a specially placed conduit.

    • According to officials, there shouldn't be a specific timeframe for the rescue of the 41 guys who are stuck; if all goes according to plan, they should be freed by Friday afternoon. According to Lieutenant General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the rescue efforts at the Uttarkashi tunnel site resemble a "war" on Thursday, with "Himalayan geology" being the adversary in this instance.

    "A lot of specialists are speculating that they may be saved tonight or early tomorrow, but keep in mind that these operations resemble battles. There should be no timeframe assigned to these operations. We never know how the opponent would respond in a conflict. This is when the Himalayan geology comes into play. We're not sure which direction the tunnel fell from," Hasnain said on Thursday at a press conference in New Delhi.

    •There are now 41 ambulances deployed at the Uttarkashi tunnel site. Ten of these were provided by the state government, while 31 were made possible by the "Operation 108 Ambulance" initiative.