In a devastating turn of events, a tunnel collapse in India has left workers trapped beneath the rubble, prompting an intensive rescue operation that has now entered its second week. This article will explore the details of the tunnel collapse, the initial rescue efforts, and the reasons behind the change in tactics after a week.
In India, forty construction workers have been interred underground since Sunday. As of the beginning of the seventh day, emergency response teams are diligently striving to locate them.
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The workmen were left stranded after a portion of the highway tunnel that they were building in the state of Uttarakhand collapsed while they were working on it.
Since acquiring a high-powered drilling machine on Thursday, rescue teams have been drilling nonstop in an effort to reach the workers who had become stranded. However, because of the unstable mountain environment, there were concerns that additional debris could fall and significantly complicate the rescue efforts.
Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of the state-run highway management business, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), made this statement to the media on Friday evening local time. “We have decided to go with a pause-and-go approach to maintain equilibrium,” Khalkho said.
Footage of the tunnel:
According to social media footage, the rescue operation and drilling were both halted on Friday and Saturday. Videos detailing this information are available for viewing.
Khalkho told reporters that rescuers tore 25 meters (82 feet) of the collapsed Uttarkashi tunnel with a powerful drill. It is currently estimated that the tunnel-trapped labor force has progressed to a level of survival equivalent to approximately one-third.
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About sixty meters of debris separated the helpers from the buried alive. Khalkho claimed mission-specific rescue pipes were pushed into the wreckage at 25 meters. However, there is still some way to go to reach the forty workers.
According to Khalkho, welding is currently taking place in the newly excavated cavity to join 25 meters of 900-millimeter conduit. Each pipe has a length of approximately 900 millimeters.
These connecting pipes will help imprisoned tunnel dwellers escape the caved-in portion and continue their journey.
Khalkho told reporters on Saturday that drilling vibrations on vulnerable terrain may seem simple, but they have real-world consequences. On Saturday, the search and rescue operation entered its seventh day.
Khakh said police used walkie-talkies to notify imprisoned workers and give food, drink, and oxygen through a smaller channel. A doctor at the scene told earlier this week that numerous boys are vomiting and having headaches.
Rescue Efforts on Collaps:
He stated that Indore, Madhya Pradesh, is providing a backup drilling machine for rescue efforts. Madhya Pradesh is in central India. The initial drilling equipment broke down and was replaced.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami told the press that “engineers and experts from NHIDCL are working relentlessly.”
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In addition to that, he underlined the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “looking into the situation.”
A specialized team from the Prime Minister’s office has also arrived at the collapsed tunnel to assess the situation.
The tunnel is part of Modi’s vast Himalayan Char Dham Highway project to increase Uttarakhand connectivity and pilgrimage sites. The project is named after the four holy Himalayan sites. The proposal will likely cost millions.
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