Page 28 - Uttarakhand

Silkyara tunnel rescue ops: Army's manual drilling begins, but no deadline

Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a Yellow Alert for the area, and a light rain might impact the area in the coming 24-48 hours. NDMA says that the rain is not likely to impact the operations

Not involved in collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel's construction: Adani Group

The conglomerate marked the allegations, which stated it held shares in a company that constructed the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel, as 'nefarious'

Rat-hole mining: Rescuers in Uttarakhand resort to traditional method

Rescuers have fallen back on the rat-hole mining technique to evacuate 41 labourers trapped in a tunnel in this Uttarakhand district for 15 days, following the failure of a heavy machine to drill through the rubble to create an escape passage for them. Rat-hole mining is often associated with Meghalaya, where holes are drilled for mining small amounts of coal. At the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, at least 12 experts have been called by Trenchless Engineering Services Private Limited and Navayuga Engineers Private limited for applying the rat-hole mining technique horizontally in the collapsed part of the main structure. They have come from Delhi, Jhansi and other parts of the country. "They will have to drill at least 10 to 12 metres with their own hands. They will mostly use two tools -- hand-held drilling machines to remove the rubble and gas cutters for cutting the iron hurdles," an official said. According to Neeraj Khairwal, Additional Secretary, Uttarakhand government and t

Despite challenges, efforts on to rescue trapped workers in U'khand: PM

Despite challenges from nature in the evacuation process of the 41 workers trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand, the government stands firmly to bring them out to safety, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. Modi prayed for the safe evacuation of the workers who have been trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand for the last 15 days at a 'Koti Deepotsavam', a religious event of lighting lamps during the Hindu Kartika month, here. He said the government is making continuous efforts to evacuate the workers safely and as early as possible. "But, we have to complete this relief and rescue operation with lot of alertness. Nature is continuously giving us challenges in this effort. But, we are standing firm. We are making efforts round-the-clock. We have to pray for the safe evacuation of those workers and to do it as early as possible," Modi said. The government and all agencies together are leaving no stone unturned to bring them out safely, he said. "When we are praying to God to

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Pray for trapped workers, appeals PM Modi

The Prime Minister said that nature is constantly throwing challenges towards the rescue operation, underway to bring the trapped men out

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Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescue ops could take several days; latest updates

The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel continue amid daily challenges. Rescue teams are tugging their plans to facilitate the rescue, avoiding further delays.

U'khand tunnel rescue: Robots to check on trapped workers' mental health

After a portion of the tunnel caved in on November 12 in Uttarakhand, the debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside

U'khand tunnel: Rat-hole miners arrive for manual horizontal drilling

Vertical drilling from the top of the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers have been trapped for the last 15 days, progressed to 31 metres on Monday as a team of rat-hole miners arrived at the site to start manual drilling horizontally through the rubble. Vertical and manual horizontal drilling are the two methods on which rescue efforts are being focused at the moment. Work on the other options, such as horizontal drilling from the Barkot end of the tunnel is also underway. A total of 86 metres have to be drilled vertically to prepare an escape passage. Pipes of 1.2 metres in diameter have to be laid vertically through the top of the tunnel on which work began on Sunday as a second option to reach the stranded labourers. Lt Gen Harpal Singh (retd), former engineer-in-chief of the Army, informed reporters in Silkyara that vertical drilling has been done up to 31 metres. Singh, who has also headed the Border Roads Organisation, is involved in the rescue operation. The 200-mm diameter .

Trapped workers talking to kin, counsellors daily to stay motivated

"Don't be nervous, we're on it." That's what family members of Saba Ahmad, one of the 41 workers trapped at Sikyara tunnel for the last 15 days, keep telling whenever they communicate with him. A mic has been sent to the workers, stuck in a 2-km built-up area beyond the rubble accumulated in the collapsed part, through a pipe which helps them talk to people outside. As the rescue operation got delayed due to the hurdles in drilling, Saba Ahmad was counselled by doctors and psychiatrists to keep him motivated, his brother Naiiyar Ahmad told PTI. A team of doctors, stationed at the rescue operation site, talk to the trapped workers twice a day -- from 9 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm. Also, family members of the trapped workers are allowed to talk to them anytime they like. The administration has set up a camp for the kin of the workers outside the tunnel. Naiiyar, who is staying in a room provided by the construction company, near the camp said he talks to his brother twice daily and

Tunnel rescue: Vertical drilling done up to 31 metres, says BRO's ex-DG

Vertical drilling from above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel has been done up to 31 metres, former DG of Border Roads Organisation Harpal Singh said on Monday at the site of the rescue operation. A total of 86 metres have to be drilled vertically to prepare an escape passage for the 41 workers trapped for the last 15 days. Pipes of 1.2 metres in diameter have to be laid vertically through the top of the tunnel by this method adopted as a second option. Preparations are also underway to start horizontal drilling inside the main tunnel manually, he said. Rescuers need to manually dig 10 to 12 metres through the rubble after the auger machine broke down. "Frames of 800 mm diameter pipes have been prepared. We will move ahead by half a metre to one metre gradually. If all goes well and no obstacles are encountered a 10-metre stretch can be covered in 24-36 hours," he said. The auger drill -- a corkscrew-like device with a rotary blade at the front end -- that was drilling into the debris go

Tunnel rescue: Auger machine debris removed, manual drilling to start soon

Earlier today, the auger machine being used for horizontal drilling of the tunnel that got stuck inside the pipe was cut and removed using a plasma cutter

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.

2 BRO officials injured in road accident on way to Silkyara tunnel

Two BRO officials were injured after their SUV was hit by a private bus near the Silkyara tunnel site on Sunday afternoon, police said. The accident occurred just half a kilometre away from the tunnel, where 41 workers have been trapped for 14 days, when three Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officials were on the way to the site in their official vehicle. An overloaded private bus coming from the opposite side rammed into their vehicle, an official said. The impact was such that their vehicle was dragged for a few metres before it stopped by the parapet along the hill road. The front portion of the SUV was completely damaged, the official added. Two BRO officials of the three travelling in the vehicle sustained head injuries in the accident, the official further said. They were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were discharged after being given stitches. The matter is being probed, a police officer said.

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Revisit safety guidelines, say experts

"This is a war, and the enemy is Himalayan geology," National Disaster Management Authority member Syed Ata Hasnain told reporters earlier this week

Vertical drilling begins in Uttarkashi tunnel to rescue trapped workers

Auger parts being pulled out to rescue 41 tunnel workers

Silkyara tunnel rescue: Vertical drilling of 20 metres done on first day

Vertical drilling of 19.2 metres was done on Sunday to create an alternative escape route for the 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed tunnel in Silkyara here for two weeks, an official said. Drilling to create a vertical pathway from the top of the hill above the collapsed tunnel began on Sunday, a day after an auger machine carrying out horizontal drilling broke down. Rescuers have to drill down 86 metres from above to reach the trapped workers. Vertical drilling has gone up to 19.2 metres so far, NHIDCL MD Mahmood Ahmed said at a press briefing in Silkyara on Sunday evening. "The exercise is going on smoothly and if it goes like this without facing obstructions, we can hope to finish it in four days by November 30," he said. On Saturday, the auger machine's blades got stuck inside the rubble, hindering the multi-agency rescue effort that began on November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed following a landslide, trap

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U'khand tunnel rescue: Efforts on to retrieve broken parts of auger machine

The National Disaster Management Authority on Sunday said that work is on to retrieve broken parts of the auger machine and start manual digging while vertical drilling has also started to bring out 41 workers trapped in Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi for the last 14 days. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told reporters here that all efforts are going on to rescue the workers. Considered as the second best option, the work on vertical drilling started around noon and 15 meters of drilling has already been completed, Hasnain said. After 86 meters of vertical drilling, the crust of the tunnel will have to be broken to bring out the trapped workers, he added. The member also mentioned that as many as six plans are being executed to rescue the workers but the best option so far is horizontal drilling under which 47 meters of drilling have been completed. Machines for undertaking sideways drilling (perpendicular drilling) are expected t