Finally! Rescue Begins As Workers Trapped In Uttarkashi Tunnel Set To Be Out After 17 Days

After being trapped for around 17 days inside a collapsed section of the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel, the 41 workers are set to be rescued on Tuesday (28 November).

This comes as the rescue pipe-laying work to reach 41 workers trapped in the Silkyari tunnel was completed after the rescuers achieved a breakthrough at around 1 pm on Tuesday (28 November).

These workers, who have been stuck in the 4.5 km tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi since a section of it collapsed on 12 November, are set to be pulled out to safety by using wheeled stretchers inside the rescue pipes.

Following the rescue, the workers will be taken to a hospital in Uttarkashi where a special ward with 41 beds has been set up for them.

Here's a brief timeline of the events that unfolded in 17 days of the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation:

Initial Collapse

On 12 November, at around 5.30 am, a section of the Silkyara Bend - Barkot tunnel, which was under construction in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India, collapsed, trapping 41 workers inside the tunnel.

Rescue Operation Launch

Immediately after the collapse, rescue operations were launched, led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the police​​. The workers trapped were mainly construction workers.

Operation Zindagi

The state government initiated "Operation Zindagi" to rescue the trapped workers. Two tunnel boring machines were deployed for the rescue efforts, with the second machine brought in after the first made insufficient progress​​.

Challenges in Rescue Efforts

Drilling through the debris was halted on 17 November after cracking sounds were detected. Alternative access tunnels were started parallel and adjacent to the existing main tunnel, and there were plans to drill down from the surface of the terrain above the tunnel​​.

Establishing Communication

By 21 November, a wider pipe was installed to establish communication with and supply essentials to the trapped workers.

This pipe was used to provide dried fruits, other foods, hot meals, oxygen, and other essentials, along with a small flexible camera for communication and filming. Additionally, there were efforts to drill three vertical shafts​​.

Further Delays and Efforts

Problems with the consistency of the rubble, metal rods, and a pipe caught in it caused delays to the drilling on 22 and 23 November, requiring significant repairs to the drilling machine.

At this stage, it was believed that the operations had reached about 75 per cent of the way through the obstructing debris​​.

Manual And Vertical Drilling Decision

On 25 November, the rescue operation faced a setback when the auger machine broke after digging around 45 metre of debris and got stuck inside the tunnel.

The parts of the machine which were stuck, were removed and a team of rat-hole miners starting digging manually using power tools on Monday.

Alongside, the vertical drilling was also started as part of the alternative options to the horizontal drilling and nearly 50 m was dug till today.

Then came the breakthrough

Employing the "rat-hole" mining technique, rescuers cleared the final few metres of debris and laid pipes to create an escape route for the trapped workers on Tuesday (28 November).

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and emergency medical personnel with stretchers were on standby to enter the tunnel and work their way into the collapsed cavern.

They will assess the condition of the trapped men and begin the process of bringing them out; a temporary medical centre has been set up at the mouth of the tunnel, where they will be examined and given first aid, if needed, before they will be transported in the ambulances.

A green corridor has been established to ensure each ambulance is transported to a makeshift hospital in Chinyalisaur, which is located 30 km from the tunnel site.