41 construction workers have been trapped in a tunnel in Uttarkashi in northern India for over a week. The tunnel collapsed as a result of a landslide on 12 November this year.
Several of the workers are said to be ill, but all are alive thanks to the supply of food and oxygen through two separate pipes leading into the tunnel. The workers also have access to light, water and medicine, according to the Indian authorities.
Parts of the 4.5 kilometer road tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon in the Himalayan region collapsed about 200 meters from the entrance itself.
In the last week, 200 rescue workers have been working tirelessly to get the trapped men out in a safe and feasible way.
– We are working hard to carry out a safe evacuation for both the rescue team and the trapped people. We must ensure that the work goes safely and do everything we can to get them out alive, says Arnold Dix, who is considered one of the world’s leading mining experts.
Arnold Dix, one of the world’s leading mining experts, was brought in to find a solution and get the workers out safely.
Photo: AP
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Until now, the plan was to drill horizontally into the tunnel, but technical problems put an end to this work when the drilling machine itself was destroyed.
When rescuers tried to get to the trapped workers, further parts of the tunnel roof collapsed.
The rescue operation is in its ninth day and five new options are now being considered to get the workers out.
On Monday evening, the plan is to drill down to the workers from above. This is stated by Devendra Patwal, leader of the rescue operation.
In practice, this means that the rescue team must dig down more than 100 meters vertically to reach the trapped workers. This will probably take several days and entails a real danger that further parts of the tunnel may collapse.
Both rescue workers and spectators flocked to the tunnel opening, where the workers are confined only 200 meters from the entrance itself.
Photo: AP
Don’t lose hope
Mining expert Arnold Dix points out that there are enormous preparations ahead of the operation. He himself arrived at the scene yesterday, but emphasizes enormous progress in the rescue work over the past 24 hours.
– It is a complex job where we have to get an overview of the entire tunnel system. The progress in the work from yesterday to today is extraordinary, he says.
Despite the difficulties of the past week, he has not lost hope.
– At the moment it looks positive. We will find a solution and get these men out. Everyone agrees that we must get those involved out to safety, regardless of how long it takes, says the mining expert.
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2023-11-20 13:20:06
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