India: Operations to Rescue Workers Trapped in Tunnel Enter 13th Day
Parts of an auger drilling machine. (Source: Matt Green)
Efforts to reach the 41 construction workers who became trapped inside a tunnel under construction in India have been ongoing for almost two weeks.
The men had been working inside the three-mile highway tunnel in Uttarakhand, northern India, when a landslide blocked the exist and trapped them inside in the early hours of 12 November. Rescuers were able to establish a line of contact early on and found that the men were unharmed.
Rescuers were also able to use a pipe to send in food, water, as well as medicine for the workers – but progress getting them out has been slow, as rescue operations kept hitting one snag after the other, prompting protests from families and colleagues of the trapped men.
A second landslide injured two rescue workers, and drilling machines did not work as intended. A new and more advanced auger drilling machine was flown in from Dehli, with officials optimistic that the workers could be rescued shortly. A week later, on Thursday 23 November, there was yet another problem as a metallic obstruction amidst the debris forced rescuers to halt the drilling.
Speaking with the media on Thursday evening, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said, “I expect that in the next few hours or by tomorrow, we will be successful in this operation.”
Rescue Rehearsal
On Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) conducted a rehearsal of the final part of the rescue operation. A chute will be put through the drilled hole to allow the workers to come through it and back outside. As of Friday morning, officials said there are 12-14 metres of rubble left to drill through to reach the labourers on the other side.
The men are reportedly in good health, as well as being provided electricity and supplies. Dr Rohit Gondwal, a psychiatrist at the rescue site, told Press Trust of India that there are plans to give the trapped workers board games and playing cards to “relieve stress”.
“The operation is getting delayed and it appears that it will take some more time,” he said.
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