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- Uttarakhand Tunnel Crash News Live Updates: Drilling remains suspended at Silkyara tunnel for yet another day
THE TIMES OF INDIA | Nov 19, 2023, 20:44:49 IST
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Uttarakhand Tunnel Crash News Live Updates: Drilling remains suspended at Silkyara tunnel for yet another day
Drilling to prepare an escape passage for 41 workers - trapped at Silkyara tunnel collapse site for a week now - remained suspended on Sunday, while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari who reviewed the rescue operation said another large diameter pipeline was being pushed through the rubble to provide essential supplies to them. "Whatever is required to save the 41 trapped workers will be done and keeping the morale of workers and their family members high should be everyone's collective responsibility", he said. Stay with TOI for all updates:
20:44 (IST) Nov 19
Drilling operations to create an escape passage for the 41 workers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel collapse site were halted on Sunday.
20:31 (IST) Nov 19
Drilling remains suspended at Silkyara tunnel for yet another day, Gadkari reviews rescue operation
Drilling to prepare an escape passage for 41 workers - trapped at Silkyara tunnel collapse site for a week now - remained suspended on Sunday, while Union Minister Nitin Gadkari who reviewed the rescue operation said another large diameter pipeline was being pushed through the rubble to provide essential supplies to them.
16:56 (IST) Nov 19
Rescue operation challenging, every possible method being tried for speedy evacuation: Union minister Nitin Gadkari
Whatever is required to save the 41 trapped workers will be done and keeping the morale of workers and their family members high should be everyone's collective responsibility, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Sunday as he reviewed the rescue operation at the partially collapsed Silkyara tunnel. The minister for road transport and highways, who was accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, said the rescue operation is challenging as the soil strata in the Himalayan region is not uniform.
16:45 (IST) Nov 19
After eight days of continuous rescue efforts for the 40 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Anurag Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways, announced a comprehensive five-option action plan on Sunday.
16:03 (IST) Nov 19
NDRF Second-In-Command Ravishankar Badhani says, "We have two teams here. We have cutting equipment, and oxy-cutting machines are available... We are trying to reach the victims as soon as possible... We are ready for any situation. If the victims are not able to move, we have also modified our stretchers... Now, we are preparing according to the new approach of the vertical and the parallel drilling..."
15:16 (IST) Nov 19
Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha says, "We are inserting a 900mm diameter pipe with the help of the Auger machine. We have reached 22 meters and we are going ahead rapidly. There is a lifeline pipe for sending food and other necessary items. We are inserting another pipe above it because there was less debris there. There we have gone till 42 meters and only a few meters are left. We will have another pipe for life support when that becomes ready..."
13:52 (IST) Nov 19
We are working on all the possibilities available. All types of expert teams are working here... Under the monitoring of PM Modi, we are continuously working. Saving everyone's life is our first priority... For this, the state government is ready to give all the help required to all the agencies... I will pray to God that they get rescued sooner, as their trouble is increasing with each passing day...
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
11:54 (IST) Nov 19
Family members of trapped workers waiting outside the tunnel, hoping to get a chance to talk to them.
11:44 (IST) Nov 19
Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari and chief minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Silkyara to conduct on-site inspection and review of rescue and relief work going on in Silkyara tunnel.
11:01 (IST) Nov 19
Officials of PMO and BRO inspect rescue operation
10:57 (IST) Nov 19
The workers from other under construction sites of Border Road Organisation (BRO) at Silkyara village will start constructing around 700 mtr road on the hillock under which Silkyara tunnel passes through.
09:14 (IST) Nov 19
Advanced machines start to arrive at Silkyara tunnel as rescue operation to bring out the stranded victims is underway.
07:44 (IST) Nov 19
'imminent threat of respiratory problems'
A senior government doctor from Dehradun pointed out the imminent threat of respiratory problems they are likely to face due to the presence of large amounts of silica in the tunnel. “They will possibly have serious respiratory issues after being stranded in the tunnel for a week. Additionally, some individuals may experience hypoxia, struggle to maintain normal oxygen levels, pulse rates, and blood pressure,” the doctor cautioned.
07:41 (IST) Nov 19
Uttarakhand tunnel crash: Trapped workers stare at health crisis
With more than 130 hours inside the dingy and dusty Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, the 41 workers stranded inside are now grappling with health issues, including constipation, headaches and growing anxiety and trauma induced by fear and claustrophobia. While officials asserted that they are providing essential supplies like food, water, and oxygen, medical experts said that the current diet of dry fruits, puffed rice and popcorn falls far short for individuals accustomed to hearty meals three times a day, potentially jeopardising their well-being.
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07:41 (IST) Nov 19
"150 soldiers of our own company are engaged in this work and a track of about 320 meters is to be constructed and then 80 to 120 meters needs to be drilled. We will work on war footing and track construction will be completed by 9 am tomorrow. Wherever trees come in between, we will cut them," said the Army official," said Major Naman Narula.
07:40 (IST) Nov 19
The Indian Army has now been tasked with constructing a track to the top of the hill so that the option of reaching out to trapped workers through vertical drilling can be availed of.
07:40 (IST) Nov 19
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will today conduct an on-site inspection of the ongoing relief and rescue work in the Silkyara Tunnel located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road. Along with the Chief Minister, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari will also arrive to take stock of the relief and rescue work.
22:40 (IST) Nov 18
Rescue team begins the operation to insert the pipe inside tunnel
21:07 (IST) Nov 18
With every passing day adding to the anxiety of families, officials initiated preparations on Saturday for drilling a vertical hole from the hill's top under which 41 workers have been trapped for seven days in a collapsed tunnel.
21:05 (IST) Nov 18
A machine preparing track to the vertical drilling site
17:09 (IST) Nov 18
On the rescue operation at the under-construction tunnel collapse, Uttarkashi DFO DP Baluni says, "... We were trying to reach them horizontally, now we will also try vertically... A spot right above the tunnel has been identified and marked. A hole will be drilled from there to reach there. The depth of the whole would be approximately 300-350 feet... The horizontal attempt of rescue would also begin from Barkot end of the tunnel..."
17:08 (IST) Nov 18
Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Former Advisor PMO Bhaskar Khulbe says, "...Efforts are on to bolster the entire area's strength to the order that it remains totally safe for workers to approach the rescue work that we are intending to do..."
17:05 (IST) Nov 18
A tree cutter has been called by the Forest Department to the Silkyara Tunnel to reach the workers trapped in the tunnel. The administration is now considering an alternative way to reach the workers through vertical drilling from the upper part of the tunnel.
16:54 (IST) Nov 18
Uttarkashi tunnel incident | Not 40 but 41 people are stuck at the Silkyara tunnel. A high-level meeting is underway to rescue the people so that they can be rescued at the earliest.
16:38 (IST) Nov 18
Their strength is ebbing: Families after speaking to workers trapped in tunnel
Their voices are getting weaker, their strength seemingly dimming, those keeping vigil outside the Silkyara tunnel here said on Saturday after speaking to their relatives trapped inside for seven days – and counting. The under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route collapsed on Sunday morning with 41 labourers inside it. As the hours tick by, the desperation of families waiting outside is mounting. That rescue operations have been suspended since Friday when a US-made auger machine deployed to drill and push in pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape passage for the workers developed a snag has exacerbated the anxiety.
14:21 (IST) Nov 18
Silkyara Tunnel collapse: Rescue operation on hold after machine snag
The operation to rescue 40 labourers stuck in the partially-collapsed Silkyara tunnel in this Uttarakhand district has been suspended since Friday, when a US-made auger machine deployed to drill and push in pipes developed a snag. Another high-performance drilling machine airlifted from Indore in Madhya Pradesh has already landed at the Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun and is being transported by road to Silkyara where it will be unloaded and assembled before being deployed for drilling, officials on the spot said.
13:10 (IST) Nov 18
'We just need some coordinated action'
Bhaskar Khulbe, former advisor to PMO visits the incident site. He says, "We'll not leave a single possibility to explore any way since it's our priority to reach those who are stuck for days here. We don't lack any resources, options and ideas, we just need some coordinated action and we are trying to make teams and reach there somehow...We are also exploring the option of vertical drilling...We are also getting help from foreign consultants. PM Modi's message is to do this operation as soon as possible."
12:22 (IST) Nov 18
Uttarakhand Tunnel Crash: A temple has been built at the main entrance of the tunnel to pray for the stranded labourers
12:10 (IST) Nov 18
We have sent two officials to Uttarkashi, who are coordinating with the local administration and line agencies for the safe rescue of the workers. One of our officials talked to the trapped labourers through the pipe laid down there for communication.
official of Odisha labour department.
12:10 (IST) Nov 18
An official of the Odisha government's labour department has spoken to workers from the state trapped after the collapse of an under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Five abourers from Odisha are among the 40 workers who have been trapped there.
11:53 (IST) Nov 18
In Silkyara village, villagers seek to appease the local deity amidst obstacles hampering the ongoing rescue operation.
11:38 (IST) Nov 18
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will review the Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation today. The Chief Minister has called for the report of the rescue operation from all the concerned officials: CMO
10:55 (IST) Nov 18
New advance Auger machine transported from Indore reaches tunnel site
10:48 (IST) Nov 18
Asked if the drilling work was stopped due to a snag in the machine being used in the rescue operation, NHIDCL's Anshu Manish Khulko added, "There was no fault in the machine."
10:47 (IST) Nov 18
Anshu Manish Khulko, director of the tunnel-making company, NHIDCL, said the drilling work to reach the trapped workers is suspended for now.
10:27 (IST) Nov 18
Administration has set-up GIO tower in tunnel area to resolve network issue.
10:26 (IST) Nov 18
The workers who are engaged in rescue work are fearing to entre tunnel after a loud sound on Friday.
10:26 (IST) Nov 18
The NHIDCL and experts are discussing possibilities to resume rescue operation.
10:25 (IST) Nov 18
Drilling work which was under way to rescue trapped workers has been stopped completely.
09:35 (IST) Nov 18
Elder son lost at Mumbai building site, man prays for 2nd son trapped in Uttarkashi tunnel
Manjeet Lal is one of the 40 workers trapped in the depths of the Silkyara tunnel for the past six days. His father Chaudhary Lal, who lost his elder son at a construction site in Mumbai just over a year ago, is now praying for his younger child. Standing outside the tunnel in Uttarkashi, desperation palpable in his voice, he said on Friday, "My other son was 36 when he was electrocuted while working at the site of a high-rise building in Mumbai. I can't bear the thought of losing my only other child."
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07:46 (IST) Nov 18
Pipe pushing activity has been stopped. Further to cope up with the above situation a meeting was called with the all officials and other experts of variousorganizations and details will follow, said officials
07:44 (IST) Nov 18
Rescue team on cracking sound inside tunnel
During the execution of the said work at around 02:45 PM, NHIDCL officials along with work force agency security personnel's, local police, a large scale cracking sound was heard by them and the team Working inside the tunnel and created a panic situation in the tunnel as well as to the team working. Consequences of the incidence GM project PMU Uttarkashi has explained that in case of such incidences, same cracking sound/noise/symptoms were also observed in many previous occasions of cavity formation/collapse in the past in this Silkayra tunnel and he opined that there is a strong possibility of further collapse may take place in the vicinity from Ch. 150to Ch 203.
07:40 (IST) Nov 18
Water, food, Oxygen, Electricity all are available with the work force trapped inside the tunnel, small food packets has also been pumped inside the tunnel through one pipe with compressed air. They confirmed the receipt of food items. All the stranded workers are safe as communicated by them: Director (T), NHID
07:35 (IST) Nov 18
On Friday late night, rescue teams have started placing hume pipes inside the tunnel. As per sources, it is an effort to create a safety passage, so that people can be evacuated if the tunnel collapsed further in Ch.150 to Ch. 203. Similar type of the passage was created earlier, but was removed few months before the incident of November 12.
22:17 (IST) Nov 17
Giant drill bores 24 metres into rubble, backup equipment too on its way
Rescue workers had bored through 24 metres of rubble at a collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi up to Friday evening, less than half the stretch of debris blocking the way to the 40 workers trapped inside for more than five days. Equipment similar to the 25-tonne American-made auger machine now in operation was also being flown in from Indore as “backup” for the rescue operation at the under-construction Silkyara tunnel on the Char Dham route in Uttarakhand.
22:02 (IST) Nov 17
U'khand tunnel rescue: IAF deploys C-17 to airlift critical equipment from Indore to Dehradun
Amid rescue operations underway in Uttarakhand at the Silkyara tunnel site, a C-17 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force has been deployed to airlift almost 22 tonnes of critical equipment from Indore to Dehradun, officials said on Friday. Working round-the-clock with a powerful machine, rescue workers have drilled through up to 24 metres of rubble in the Silkyara tunnel till Friday afternoon, inching closer to the 40 labourers trapped inside for five days.
17:41 (IST) Nov 17
Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand: NHIDCL (National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited) Tunnel Project Director Anshu Manish Khulko says, "There is a total of 24 (meters) out of which 22 meters have been drilled... We create a backup so that the work goes on unhindered... The machines (for drilling) need to be called in from various parts of the country..."
17:18 (IST) Nov 17
Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) tunnel incident: Uttrakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami says, "The engineers & scientists everyone is working. The pipe has been put at around 25 meters. The work is going on at a great speed. PM Modi is reviewing the situation..."
15:22 (IST) Nov 17
The mission to rescue 40 workers in the crashed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi has entered 6th day. New machines and rescuers have inched closer to trapped men as only 30-40 metres of debris are left to be removed.
12:32 (IST) Nov 17
American augur machine is a highly advanced machine. Its work is going on in full swing. As per the latest update, four pipes have been inserted and the welding of a fifth one is underway. We can say that the auger machine is going well. If there are no hindrances by the debris, we will be able to make the tunnel and rescue them at the earliest...We can't give you a deadline as to when will the operation be complete but the technical workers are working hard round the clock and this will conclude at the earliest. All of them will be rescued..."
Uttarkashi SP Arpan Yaduvanshi
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