Page 7 - Accident

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse update: Vertical drilling underway, 86 mts left

On Sunday, rescuers drilled over 20 metres into the hill above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel. Rescue workers have to drill down 86 metres to reach the tunnel

Tunnel collapse: Remaining parts of auger machine stuck in rubble removed

The remaining parts of the auger machine stuck in the rubble at Silkyara tunnel, where 41 labourers have been stranded for the last 15 days, were removed early on Monday. Manual drilling will now start at the tunnel to prepare an escape passage for the trapped workers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary P K Mishra and Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S S Sandhu will visit Silkyara on Monday to review the rescue operation. The auger drill -- a corkscrew-like device with a rotary blade at the front end -- that was drilling into the debris got stuck Friday evening, forcing officials to give up on the 25-tonne machine. Parts of the auger were left to be removed from an 8.15-metre area on Sunday night. Extracting the shaft and fins of the machine from the rubble completely was necessary to pave the way for manual drilling and pushing of pipes which is in the final stretch with around 12 metres more to go.

U'khand CM inspects tunnel site, Arnold Dix sheds hope amid delay in rescue

Speaking to the media, Dhami said on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very sensitive towards the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel

Setback to tunnel rescue work, expert says auger machine has busted

The auger machine engaged for drilling through the rubble at the Silkyara tunnel to rescue 41 trapped workers has busted, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix said on Saturday. "Augering is finished...the auger is broken, destructed," he told reporters in Silkyara. The auger machine was facing repeated obstructions in the rubble in the past few days. When asked about other options such as vertical or manual drilling, he said all options are being explored. "Every door we are opening has its advantages and disadvantages. What we have to ensure is the safety of the rescuers as well as those who are trapped," he said. The multi-agency rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed following a landslide, trapping the 41 workers inside.

Two dead after fire breaks out in car in Noida's Amrapali Platinum Society

As soon as the police station at Sector-113, Noida, was alerted, fire officials reached the spot to extinguish the fire

U'khand tunnel rescue: Manual drilling will start once Auger removed

The ongoing operation to rescue workers, who were trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on November 12, entered its 14th day on Saturday

U'khand tunnel rescue: Option of manual drilling being considered

With the auger machine encountering hurdles in the rubble time and again, rescuers are considering switching over to manual drilling at the Silkyara tunnel where 41 labourers have been trapped for the past 13 days, officials said on Saturday. Drilling at the collapsed portion of the tunnel to rescue the trapped men was halted again on Friday night, in yet another setback to the multi-agency effort. An official said the auger drilling machine faced a hurdle, apparently a metal object, a little after drilling resumed Friday, a day after officials had put the operation on hold following technical problems. With one hurdle or the other not letting the auger machine drill further and lay steel pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape route for the trapped workers, the option of manual drilling is being considered, an official said. However, he said, manual drilling takes longer time. The multi-agency rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel o

U'khand tunnel rescue: NDRF conducts evacuation rehearsal using stretchers

The NDRF on Friday conducted a rehearsal of how it would take its wheeled stretchers through the chute being prepared to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel. An NDRF personnel went through the passage, pushing a wheeled stretcher tied to a rope at the end of the tunnel and was pulled back up after completing the stretch. A passage has been made using 800 mm diameter steel pipes through the rubble at the tunnel to rescue the workers who have been trapped inside for the past 12 days. An NDRF personnel who went into the passage was lying on the wheeled stretcher facing downwards. There was enough room inside the pipes and he had no difficulty in breathing during the exercise, he said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has been camping at Matli since Thursday to closely monitor the rescue operations. A temporary camp of the chief minister's office has been set up there to help him perform his daily duties. The drilling and pushing pipes through the rubble has n

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescue team to start drilling at 11 am today

The rescue team has placed broad pipes up to a depth of 45 metres through the debris

Union Min VK Singh reaches Uttarkashi tunnel site to inspect rescue ops

Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, General (retd) VK Singh, reached the Silkyara tunnel site on Friday to take stock of the ongoing efforts to rescue 41 trapped workers.The workers have now been trapped for 13 days on the opposite end of a portion of the under-construction tunnel, which collapsed on November 12.The rescue operations entered its final phase on Thursday, with officials saying that only a few metres were left to be drilled for the rescuers to reach the trapped workers.However, due to another technical snag in the auger drilling machine, which had been specially requisitioned for cutting through the debris, the rescue operations were briefly halted on Thursday.The rescuers drilled up to 46.8 metres inside the Silkyara tunnel till 10.20 pm on Thursday."Currently, the drilling machine is being repaired and it will take a few more hours to get it going again. Unless fresh problems crop up, the rescue operation should resume after 9 am tomorrow," an .

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Drilling work on hold at Silkyara tunnel

Pipe laid through the rubble to prepare an escape route for workers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel remained stalled on Friday morning with the platform on which the drilling machine stands being stabilised by shotcreting, an official said. Boring through the rubble was put on hold again Thursday apparently after cracks appeared in the platform on which the drilling machine rests, in a fresh hurdle to the rescue of 41 workers trapped inside for 12 days. The dampener came hours after the operation resumed earlier in the day, following a six-hour delay to cut through an iron girder that came in the way of the auger machine late Wednesday night. This is the third time that the drilling exercise has been halted since the multi-agency rescue mission began on November 12 after a stretch of the under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed.

Himalaya tunnel disaster: India needs more caution on infrastructure

This is clearly an incredibly fragile part of the world, where large-scale development projects can only be conducted with the utmost caution

Steel rods blocking rescue efforts removed at Slikyara Tunnel collapse site

According to Kulbe one of the main hindrances, the presence of steel rods along the path of the rescue pipes have now been removed

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Laying of 12-metre pipeline still left

The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side

U'khand tunnel collapse exposes callous attitude towards safety: Unions

Central trade unions said the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakashi in which 41 workers remain trapped "exposes the callous attitude" of the government towards the occupational safety and health of the workers. "The Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations/Associations express their anguish at the failure of the authorities to take responsibility for the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakashi, Uttarakhand," said a joint statement issued by eleven trade unions and sectoral federations. The signatories include Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), and independent Sectoral Federations and ...

Crash kills 2 at Niagara Fall's Rainbow border bridge, no sign of terrorism

A vehicle speeding toward a US-Canada bridge from the American side crashed and exploded at a checkpoint in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, killing two people and prompting the closing of multiple border crossings for hours. Authorities weren't sure what spurred the wreck but said there were no signs it was a terror attack. Much remained unclear about the incident at the Rainbow Bridge, which stirred concerns on both sides of the border as the US headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. Both US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were briefed soon afterward, and Trudeau excused himself from Question Period in the House of Commons to get further information, saying officials were "taking this extraordinarily seriously". A few hours later, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and western New York's US attorney, Trini Ross, both sought to ease fears, while cautioning that the investigation was in the early stages. "Based on what we know at this moment," Hochul said at a .

U'khand tunnel collapse: Rescuers drill halfway towards 41 trapped workers

The men have been stuck in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12 and are safe, said authorities

Tunnel collapse: 6-inch-wide pipe pushed through rubble to send food

Earlier, a four-inch tube was being used to supply food such as dry fruit, medicines and oxygen into the section of the tunnel beyond the rubble

Uttarakhand govt to bear travel expenses of relatives of trapped workers

The Uttarakhand government will bear the travel, food and lodging expenses of relatives of the 41 workers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district for over a week. Assuring the families of the trapped workers that they will be rescued soon, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said officials have been asked to stay in touch with the relatives of the trapped workers so that they do not face any inconvenience. The state government will bear the expenses of people who want to visit Silkyara to enquire about their well being, he said. Psychiatrists have also been roped in to maintain the morale of the trapped workers, the chief minister said. Rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since portions of the tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving 41 workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris. The Silkyara tunnel, about 30 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi and a seven-hour drive from the Uttarakhand capital

Tunnel collapse: Rescue halted, another machine from Indore to reach today

The workers have been trapped for six days, counting Saturday, after a portion of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel caved in on November 12