Army’s engineering unit joins rescue operation at Uttarkashi

A unit of Madras Sappers, an engineer group of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army, has been called in at Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel for manual drilling at the site where 41 workers have remained trapped for the past 15 days. 30 personnel of the engineer regiment have arrived at the spot to expedite the rescue operations. For manual drilling, the Indian Army, along with civilians, will do rat boring inside the tunnel.

“To do manual drilling, the Indian Army, along with civilians, will dig out the debris inside the tunnel with weapons like hands, hammers and chisels and then the pipe will be pushed forward from the platform built inside the pipe,” an official said. The official further stated that 41 people were safe and stable inside the tunnel.

Earlier today, the plasma cutter arrived and began cutting the machine stuck in the pipeline.An official said that if the American Auger machine is removed from the pipeline by plasma cutters by evening, then the tunnel work can be completed in 15 hours.

Officials also informed that the rescue team engaged in the rescue operation has now decided that the pipeline will be sent forward by digging at small distances through manual drilling.

“Even if there is any obstruction in this process, that problem will be solved manually and the pipeline will be sent further to some distance,” they said. Also, the drone cameras are being used by experts to monitor the rescue operation that is underway here to bring out the 41 trapped workers.

Meanwhile, Union Minister General VK Singh reached the Silkyara tunnel site on Sunday where the rescue operation is underway to bring out the trapped workers.
After a portion of the tunnel caved in on November 12, the debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure.