41 Laborers Trapped in Collapsed Indian Tunnel Nearing Rescue, Official Announces

In a compelling turn of events, authorities in India have reported that they stand on the cusp of liberating the 41 construction workers ensnared within the confines of a collapsed mountain tunnel for an arduous 17-day duration. This saga unfolds in the northern region of the country, where relentless efforts of rescuers have culminated in a breakthrough.

The impending salvation of these laborers hinges on their extraction through a conduit fashioned from welded pipes, meticulously threaded through the labyrinth of soil and rock. The gravity of the situation prompted Pushkar Singh Dhami, the highest-ranking official in Uttarakhand state, where this calamity unfolded, to share a hopeful message on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. He stated, “Soon all the laborer brothers will be taken out.”

Kirti Panwar, a spokesperson for the state government, revealed that a group of approximately a dozen individuals toiled ceaselessly, braving the odds to manually excavate through the formidable barrier of rocks and debris. Their relentless endeavor involved the use of handheld drilling tools, with shifts allocated for drilling and clearing away the accumulated detritus. This marathon effort represents the culmination of the arduous rescue operation.

Earlier in the ordeal, rescuers had resorted to manual excavation following the irreparable breakdown of the drilling machine on Friday. The unforgiving mountainous terrain of Uttarakhand had rendered horizontal drilling from the front an insurmountable challenge. Prior to the machine’s demise, it had managed to bore approximately 47 meters (nearly 154 feet) of the required 57-60 meters (nearly 187-196 feet). Subsequently, the rescue operation transitioned to a labor-intensive process of handcrafting a passage to extricate the trapped workers. As of the latest update, rescuers have successfully penetrated more than 50 meters into the tunnel.

Ingenious rescue teams have inserted pipes into the hollowed-out sections and meticulously welded them together. This strategic move will facilitate the transportation of the workers via wheeled stretchers.

The harrowing ordeal began on November 12 when a landslide struck, causing a portion of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) tunnel, which the laborers were constructing, to collapse, approximately 200 meters (650 feet) from its entrance.

In a bid to expedite the rescue operation, rescuers have also initiated the creation of a vertical channel using a newly replaced drilling machine as a contingency plan. What initially seemed like a mission spanning a few days has evolved into a protracted endeavor, with authorities refraining from providing a definitive timeline for its conclusion.

Arnold Dix, an international tunneling expert lending his expertise to the rescue mission, expressed optimism, stating, “I just feel good. The drilling on top of the mountain is coming along perfectly, in the tunnel, it’s coming along very well. I have never said ‘I feel good’ before,” during a briefing with reporters at the site on Tuesday.

The majority of the trapped workers are migrant laborers hailing from various corners of the country. Many of their families have converged at the site, where they have endured days of anxious vigilance, longing for news of their loved ones’ imminent return.

Throughout this trying ordeal, authorities have managed to sustain the trapped workers by providing hot meals through a 6-inch (15-centimeter) pipe, a significant improvement from the days when sustenance was limited to dry rations sent through a narrower conduit. The workers also receive a supply of oxygen through a separate pipeline, while a dedicated team of over a dozen doctors, including psychiatrists, monitors their well-being on-site.

The tunnel under construction was intended to be part of the Chardham all-weather road, a project aimed at connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites. However, some experts have expressed concerns, suggesting that this flagship initiative of the federal government could further exacerbate the delicate conditions in the upper Himalayan region, where several towns stand atop landslide debris.

Uttarakhand, with its multitude of Hindu temples, has witnessed a steady influx of pilgrims and tourists over the years, driven by ongoing construction projects and the expansion of roadways.

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More about Indian tunnel rescue

• Indian Tunnel Rescue – Reuters
• Chardham All-Weather Road Project – The Times of India
• Arnold Dix – Tunneling Expert
• Uttarakhand Tourism