Uttarkashi Tunnel rescue: Steel structure obstructing free movement of pipe removed, says former PMO advisor

Bhaskar Khulbe, former advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, visited the Silkyara tunnel collapse site on Thursday and reported that, as part of the 41 workers’ rescue effort, the entire steel structure preventing the pipe inside from moving freely has now been removed. On November 12, a section of the tunnel that was still under construction collapsed, trapping the workers for 12 days. Khulbe visited the location early in the morning to assess the status of the rescue effort.

Later, while speaking to the reporters here, he said that the efforts are being made to move 6 metres ahead of the 45-metre mark that has already been reached. “I am happy to tell you the entire steel that was obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed. We are trying to move 6 metres ahead of the 45-metre mark that we have already reached. During drilling last night, an iron metal had come in, due to which the work was stopped. We hope that there will be no more obstructions in our way ahead…”, he said.

Rescue teams reported that the operation required wide pipes to be pushed through the debris so that the trapped workers could walk out. The auger machine had earlier encountered a metal barrier. It can drill through approximately three meters of debris in an hour. On November 12, debris falling in the 60-meter section of the tunnel on the Silkyara side caused it to collapse, trapping 41 workers in the process of building a tunnel that connects Silkyara and Barkot. The 2 km of constructed area where the laborers are imprisoned includes finished concrete work that ensures their safety. In the meantime, welding specialists from Delhi have arrived at the Silkyara tunnel as part of the rescue effort to free the 41 workers who are trapped.