Rescue workers are still searching for a way to save the lives of 41 Indian laborers trapped under tunnel rubble. Recently, it has begun to be used to drill vertically from above.
More than 2 weeks have passed since the landslide occurred. causing the entrance to the Silyara-Barkot Tunnel in the state of Uttarakhand India It was destroyed and blocked by a concrete wall, rubble, iron and metal, with 41 Indian workers trapped inside.
By last week Rescue workers were able to penetrate deep into the collapsed rubble, leaving only 10-15 meters to reach the victims. and estimated that the rescue would take only a few more hours.
First images revealed of Indian workers trapped under rubble of collapsed tunnel for more than a week
India rushes to rescue 40 construction workers trapped under collapsed tunnel
But they faced a final obstacle. When large drilling machines brought from the United States Drilled and crashed into a metal barrier until it was damaged. Destroys hope that the rescue will be successful.
Today (27 Nov.), rescue workers decided to use riskier rescue measures. That is, start drilling the tunnel vertically from above. To try to open a channel to pull out the victims.
Officials said The drill of a US drilling machine is being repaired. And in the meantime 200 rescue workers moved forward using other drilling tools and also tried to remove the debris using a pulley system.
India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said vertical drilling into the tunnel where the workers were trapped had begun. However, the agency acknowledged that this was a more hazardous process than horizontal drilling. This is because it may cause vibrations in areas that are already fragile. and may cause more cracks Until the tunnel ceiling may collapse even more.
Geologists warn that Vertical drilling is considered It is a “massive risk” because the heavy vibrations caused by drilling down there could be It is a “major threat” to the mountain and also destabilizes the surrounding terrain where other people live.
An NDMA official confirmed that vertical drilling had begun yesterday afternoon, saying “it was necessary to drill 86 meters to reach the trapped workers and provide an escape route.” It has now been drilled 15 meters.”
Indian officials said Vertical drilling may be completed by Thursday (Nov. 30), but it also warned that This may take several days or weeks. Before reaching the person inside, additional obstacles arise.
Arnold Dix, a tunneling expert from Australia who helped with the operation, said: “It will take some time, maybe a month, but I can’t give an exact time. It is not recommended to speed up the process. The most important thing is the safe return of these workers. And I’m sure they’ll be home by Christmas.”
In the past, there has been constant contact with those trapped inside the tunnel. especially through small water pipes which is a conduit for food and oxygen including through a large 6-inch supply pipe, which was successfully inserted last week. This means that workers can get freshly prepared food from outside. Essential fruits and medicines
The tunnel was built as part of a $1.5 billion project by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that aims to connect four main religious pilgrimage sites across the country. Uttarakhand passes through a large network of roads and tunnels.
The project has faced protests and lawsuits from environmentalists and locals. It warns that cutting through the fragile Himalayan terrain is damaging to the environment. and can lead to landslides and subsidence.
Compiled from The Guardian
Photo from Arun SANKAR / AFP
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2023-11-27 07:31:00