• Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Switch to manual drilling being considered as rescue operations enter day 14

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    Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Switch to manual drilling being considered as rescue operations enter day 14

    This hindrance occurred just after drilling had resumed, following a brief pause due to technical issues...

    Digital Desk: The rescue mission to free 41 workers stuck in the Silkyara tunnel faced a fresh setback on the thirteenth day as the auger drilling machine encountered a metal girder during evening operations on Friday. This hindrance occurred just after drilling had resumed, following a brief pause due to technical issues. The 25-tonne machine, which had been restarted on Friday evening, had operated for about an hour before hitting the obstacle.


    Officials had hoped to lay steel pipes through the rubble to create an escape route for the trapped workers, but the recurring challenges with the auger drilling machine have prompted consideration of manual drilling. The previous technical snag had forced a one-day halt in the rescue efforts.


    As the operation enters its fourteenth day on Saturday, the rescue team is grappling with unforeseen obstacles, emphasizing the complexity of the mission and the urgency of finding alternative solutions to ensure the safety of the trapped workers.