New Delhi: For 12 days now over 40 laborers remain trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after one of its portions collapsed on November 12. Rescue teams are tirelessly working around the clock to safely extract the 41 trapped laborers. In Today's DNA, Zee News anchor Sourabh Raaj Jain analysed the ongoing rescue operation in Uttarakhand to save the labourers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.


This uncertainty arises from the ongoing obstacles hindering the rescue team's progress, making it challenging to determine when the workers will emerge. A notable obstacle confronted the rescue team late on Thursday night.

 

When the rescue operation commenced, the primary challenge for the team was addressing the large iron rods obstructing the path. While diamond blades could have been an option, the increased friction and resultant vibrations in the tunnel made this method less desirable. Consequently, the team opted for manual cutting using gas cutters. Members of the rescue team affixed oxygen gas cylinders to their backs and reached the location of the iron rods, with a limited one-hour backup. This constraint necessitated the team to expedite their work, and within six hours, the iron rods were successfully cut.


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The Silkyara Tunnel rescue team encounters daily challenges, and the prospect of future hurdles remains uncertain. Obstacles persist on both ends — where the workers are trapped and where the rescue operations are underway.



During today's drilling, steel rods were discovered in the debris before the auger machine, impeding progress. The drilling machine couldn't cut through these rods, leading to a temporary halt in the rescue operation. After a pause of several hours, the operation resumed with renewed vigor.


Within the tunnel, a substantial 60-meter debris field exists, requiring drilling up to 57 meters. Currently, the rescue team has successfully drilled beyond 45 meters. If all goes according to plan, today may mark the liberation of all laborers from the tunnel, a testament to the triumph of lives overcoming adversity.