The ongoing rescue operation to free 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India faces a setback as the final stretch of digging encounters delays. Officials report damage to some blades of the drilling machine caused by a metal object lodged in the debris. To address this, special cutters from New Delhi and Dehradun are being arranged to remove the obstruction and resume drilling, according to Kirti Panwar, a state government spokesperson.
Ambulances stand by in the state of Uttarakhand, ready to transport the workers for treatment, as rescuers work through the last meters of debris. Engineers have been labouring for days to drive a steel pipe through 57 meters of earth, concrete, and rubble that has separated the workers from freedom since a section of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12.
A sudden rapid advance by engineers with a drilling machine was made on November 22, halted at just 12 meters from completion when metal rods blocked the route. Senior rescue team member Harpal Singh suggested a Thursday morning breakthrough, but the government cautioned that timelines were subject to change due to technical glitches, challenging terrain, and unforeseen emergencies.
Relatives at the site express newfound optimism after days of anxiety. Devashish, whose brother-in-law is among the trapped, spoke to him on November 20, recounting, "Sonu repeatedly told me not to worry now and that we would meet soon." Chanchal Singh Bisht, whose cousin Pushkar Singh Ary is trapped, shares, "The day they will come out of the tunnel, it will be the biggest, happiest day for us."
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, emphasizing the urgency of the situation, stated that the work is being done on a "war footing." Rescue efforts have been impeded by falling debris and machine breakdowns. Alternative measures, including blasting and drilling from the far end of the tunnel and a risky vertical shaft, have been initiated.
The workers, visible for the first time on November 21 through an endoscopic camera, remain trapped in a space 8.5 meters high and stretching about two kilometres. The tunnel is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's infrastructure project, aiming to reduce travel times between key Hindu sites and enhance access to strategic areas near the China border. However, concerns about the impact of extensive construction in landslide-prone Uttarakhand have been raised by experts.
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