Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue Live: Manual Drilling Being Considered As Auger Machine Hits Another Roadblock

Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: The drilling work at the was stopped again on Friday night, adding to the frustration of the multi-agency rescue team.

New Delhi: The rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers have been trapped for over a fortnight, is facing constant challenges from the debris. Officials said on Saturday that they are thinking of switching to manual drilling, as the auger machine keeps getting stuck in the rubble.

The drilling work was stopped again on Friday night, adding to the frustration of the multi-agency rescue team. An official said the auger machine hit a hurdle, possibly a metal piece, soon after it resumed drilling on Friday, following a day of technical glitches.

The officials are now considering the option of manual drilling, which is slower but may be more effective in clearing the rubble and creating a passage for the trapped workers. The official said that the auger machine has not been able to drill further and insert steel pipes through the debris.

The rescue mission began on November 12, when a landslide caused a part of the tunnel, which is being built on the Char Dham route in Uttarakhand, to collapse and trap the workers inside.