Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, paid a visit to the family of Tanakpur worker Pushkar Singh Airi on Sunday. Airi has been imprisoned in the Silkyara tunnel for the past fifteen days. The 41 workers who became stuck in the Silkyara tunnel on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road are still being rescued. Regarding the ongoing rescue efforts, Chief Medical Officer Dhami stated that the auger machine cutting that became lodged in the Silkyara tunnel debris in order to free the workers is in progress and should be finished shortly. He stated that after the auger machine was cut and removed, manual drilling would start.
“The plasma machine that has been brought from Hyderabad has started working since this morning. The cutting is going on rapidly. 14 metres more remain (to be cut),” he said.
“The auger machine has to be cut and brought out. It seems that it will be completed soon, within a few more hours. After that, manual drilling will begin,” CM Dhami added.
A plasma cutter machine was flown from Hyderabad to cut the auger machine early this morning.
In addition, the Indian Air Force said earlier today that it had rushed “critical DRDO equipment” to Dehradun in order to expedite the current rescue effort. According to official sources, a protective canopy is being erected inside the Silkyara tunnel to provide cover for the rescue crew. In addition, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has intervened to give the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel a landline so they can communicate with their families as part of efforts to reassure them and reduce their stress.