New Delhi: Rescuers were much closer to the 41 men trapped in a mountainous tunnel in Uttarakhand Wednesday evening, as multiple agencies drilled through the stubborn debris and inserted wide-enough pipes through which the men could crawl out.
The 4.5-kilometre Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi, which was under construction on a national highway, collapsed in the early hours of 12 November, trapping the workers in a clearing within.
The collapse triggered the central government Wednesday to order a safety audit of all 29 tunnels being constructed on national highways in the country.
The government said the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which is building these tunnels, will inspect all ongoing tunnel projects and submit a report within seven days.
The 29 tunnels, with a total length of 79 kilometres, are being built in Himachal Pradesh (12), Jammu and Kashmir (6), two each in Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and one each in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Delhi respectively.
The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) will help NHAI “to review design, drawing and safety aspects related to tunnel construction and slope stabilisation”, the government said. This agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years.
Meanwhile, at the Uttarkashi site, 40 ambulances pulled in Wednesday evening, in anticipation of the rescue to be completed overnight, though officials have not given any specific timeline.
VIDEO | Uttarkashi tunnel collapse UPDATE: Preparations underway at Community Health Centre in Chinyaisaur as operation to rescue 41 workers, trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel, nears completion. pic.twitter.com/KnfoSxFC1D
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 22, 2023
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami shared on X that debris from 45 metres of the estimated 60-metre clogged stretch had been cleared.
Though rescuers were in touch with the trapped men a day after the tunnel caved in, they could establish video contact with them via an endoscopy camera pushed in through a newly laid 6-inch pipe on Tuesday. The workers spoke to relatives and other officials through the pipe.
Also read: ‘More than half debris cleared’, as attempts continue to rescue 41 trapped inside Uttarkashi tunnel