41 laborers trapped in tunnel of Uttarkashi
Not 40 but 41 laborers are trapped inside the tunnel in Uttarkashi, work is being done to break the tunnel so that somehow the lives of the laborers can be saved. At the same time, painful stories of construction workers interacting with their family members from the tunnel have also come to light. The workers trapped in the tunnel are fighting for their lives for the seventh day, as there is virtually no light at the end of the tunnel. The voice of the trapped laborers is gradually becoming weaker, whereas due to the fear of further collapse of the tunnel, the rescue work was stopped on Friday night and today the rescue work is going on again.
Don’t tell mother that…
Pushkar, a 25-year-old construction worker, urged his brother Vikram Singh not to tell his mother that he was trapped in the tunnel, AFP reported, quoting The Times of India. While talking on the radio, Pushkar tells Vikram, “Don’t tell mother that I am one of the people trapped here. Mother will be worried if you tell the truth.” Hearing this, everyone present there started crying. Let us tell you that the family members of the workers trapped in the tunnel are waiting outside, praying for success – worried.
PM Modi is also taking updates
The Uttarakhand government has decided to provide accommodation, food and health facilities to the family members waiting outside the Silkyara Tunnel and the country’s Prime Minister himself is taking updates 3-4 times a day. To evacuate everyone safely in a short time, the Prime Minister has sent his senior officers, who are coordinating with everyone. All 41 workers trapped in the tunnel have been informed about the 5 plans. No machine is running inside the tunnel, work is stopped. Work has been started from both sides of the tunnel, from the top and from both sides.
The worker’s brother has expressed concern
The stranded workers are surviving on light food items like gram, kheer and almonds that have been sent to them through pipes. Maharaj Singh, brother of a construction worker, told PTI, “I couldn’t talk to my brother. His voice sounded very weak. His voice was barely audible. Rescue operations in the tunnel have stopped. There is also a shortage of food and water. Our patience has reached its limits. What else can I say?”
Seventh day of Uttarkashi tunnel collapse, know updates
The rescue operation was stopped on Friday after a machine malfunctioned.
This machine was a US-made auger machine that was deployed to drill and insert pipes into the debris to create an escape route for the 41 workers. But the operation was stopped on Friday after a crack was heard.
The auger machine drilled 24 meters through the debris spread over a 60 meter area inside the tunnel before going inside.
When the auger machine was working, it had to be stopped intermittently due to smoke and vibration. The auger machine replaced the earlier drilling machine, which had limited capacity.
After the work of the auger machine stopped, another drilling machine has been airlifted from Indore.
Microtunneling expert Chris Cooper reached the spot on Sunday to monitor the rescue operation. Cooper is a consultant for the Rishikesh Karnaprayag Rail Project.
News agency ANI reported that Bhaskar Khulbe, former advisor, PMO, and Mangesh Ghildiyal, Deputy Secretary PMO, reached Silkyara Tunnel on Saturday to monitor the situation.
At around 5.30 am on October 12, a part of the tunnel collapsed and it was said that 40 workers were trapped inside the tunnel. On Friday, the number was revised to 41 and Deepak Kumar from Bihar was identified as the 41st person trapped in the tunnel.
The 4531 meter long Silkyara Tunnel is part of the Chardham project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and will connect the Gangotri and Yamunotri axis under the Radi Pass area. The tunnel is being constructed by NHIDCL through Navyug Engineering Company Limited at a cost of ₹853.79 crore.
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