Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Rescue Operation: "Big News" Expected By 11:30 PM As Only 12 Metres Drilling Left

Only 12 meters of rock and rubble are standing between 41 trapped workers in Uttarakhand's Silkyara collapsed tunnel, and the rescue officials striving to reach them, NDTV reported.

After an American-made drill made an additional six meters of progress into the hillside, officials announced on Wednesday (22 November) that they anticipate "big news" by 11.30 pm.

Bhaskar Khulbe, the Special Officer assigned to the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, joyfully informed reporters that they've managed to progress an additional six meters. He anticipates that in the upcoming two hours, as they gear up for the subsequent phase, they'll be able to complete the remaining tasks.

Khulbe stated that approximately 67 per cent of the drilling process has been accomplished.

A collaborative effort involving five government agencies, including the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, has been initiated with distinct objectives, such as vertical drilling to establish an alternative escape route.

In the event that the main entrance proves inaccessible, operations involving blasting and drilling have commenced from the far end of the incomplete tunnel, which spans nearly half a kilometer.

Contingency plans have been put in place for the creation of a precarious vertical shaft directly above.