Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue Operation Live Updates: Rescuers Dig Through Debris, Lay Pipes To Bring Out Workers From Tunnel

New Delhi:

As a team of “rat-hole miners” began manual drilling operations yesterday to reach the 41 workers trapped within the debris of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi as rescue ops entered Day 17.

Nodal Officer for the Silkyara rescue operation and Secretary to the Uttarakhand government, Neeraj Khairwal informed that if there are no more hurdles, the rescuers are anticipating an early evacuation of the trapped labourers.

He said, “As of now, we have pushed 55.3 metres of the pipe. This includes clearing of the rubble as well as laying the pipe. Only a little more distance remains. It might be somewhere between 57-59 metres. It might take a few more hours if there are no more hurdles. By evening we are hoping. Let’s pray and hope for the best”.

Meanwhile, Officials said the workers will be taken to a hospital in Uttarkashi after being rescued where a special ward with 41 beds has been set up for them.

The under-construction tunnel is part of the ambitious Char Dham project, a national infrastructure initiative to enhance connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

Here are the LIVE updates on the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue:

Get NDTV UpdatesTurn on notifications to receive alerts as this story develops.

Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue Operation Live Updates: The ambulance went inside the Silkyara tunnel comes out now.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue | The ambulance went inside the Silkyara tunnel comes out now.

As per the latest update, the pipe has been inserted up to 55.3 metres and one more pipe has to be welded and pushed in. pic.twitter.com/7YZxV1rCIm

– ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023

Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue Operation Live Updates: An ambulance being taken inside the tunnel.

#WATCH | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue | An ambulance being taken inside the tunnel. As per the latest update, pipe has been inserted up to 55.3 metres. pic.twitter.com/ULnuwq2RrS

– ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023

Rat-Hole Miners 3 Metres Away From Trapped Tunnel Workers As Op Enters Day 17

Rat-Hole Miners 3 Metres Away From Trapped Tunnel Workers As Op Enters Day 17

“Hoping for good news by evening”: Nodal Officer for Silkyara rescue raises hope of early evacuation of trapped labourers

Nodal Officer for the Silkyara rescue operation and Secretary to the Uttarakhand government, Neeraj Khairwal informed that if there are no more hurdles, the rescuers are anticipating an early evacuation of the trapped labourers.

He said, “As of now, we have pushed 55.3 metres of the pipe. This includes clearing of the rubble as well as laying the pipe. Only a little more distance remains. It might be somewhere between 57-59 metres.”

“It might take a few more hours if there are no more hurdles. By evening we are hoping. Let’s pray and hope for the best,” he added.

Why Was Rat-Hole Mining Banned?

The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole mining in 2014 for being unscientific, but the practice continues to be rampant. Several accidents have resulted in deaths of rat-hole miners in the Northeastern state. In 2018, 15 men involved in illegal mining were trapped inside a flooded mine. Only two bodies could be recovered in the course of the rescue operation that lasted for more than two months. Another such accident took place in 2021 when five miners were trapped in a flooded mine. Three bodies were found before rescue teams called off the operation after a month. Add to this the environmental pollution caused by this method.

What Is Rat-Hole Mining?

Rat-hole mining is a method of extracting coal by digging very small pits, not more than 4 feet wide. Once the miners reach the coal seam, tunnels are made sideways to extract the coal. The coal brought out is dumped nearby and later transported via highways. In rat-hole mining, workers enter the mines and use hand-held tools to dig. This is the most common method of mining in Meghalaya, where the coal seam is very thin and any other method risks being economically unviable. The small size of the tunnels make children the best fit for the hazardous job, and in a state that has limited options for livelihood, many line up for the risky job. Many children also pose as adults to get work in such mines.

How Rat-Hole Mining, Outlawed, May Save 41 Trapped In Uttarkashi Tunnel

Rat-hole mining to rescue the trapped workers began yesterday after a 25-tonne auger machine failed in the last leg of the challenging operation. This method of manual drilling has made quick progress and the diggers are now metres away from the workers who have been confined for 17 days.

• A team of 24 seasoned “rat-hole mining” experts are involved in the manual drilling process and excavate a narrow passageway toward the trapped workers. 
• This time-consuming task will involve removing debris and creating a safe route for the rescue operation. The workers are just 5 metres away from the rescue team.
• Manual drilling operations began at the tunnel yesterday. 
• Initial drilling efforts were conducted using a large auger machine that got stuck in the rubble on Friday, prompting authorities to look for alternative methods –  vertical drilling from above the tunnel. 
• Approximately 40% of the required 86-metre vertical drilling has been completed.