Rescue Operation of 40 workers trapped in the debris in Uttarakhand Tunnel collapse has been revised on Tuesday morning as the rescuers has been actively operating on the process of inserting the large diameter hume steel pipes through rubble using the auger machine .
Uttarakhand Government has responded in the operation by constituting a six- member expert Committee for the official Investigation of an under-construction Uttarkashi Tunnel collapse happened in early of Sunday.
Tunnel Collapse Incident.
On early Sunday at nearly 5:30am , the workers on the site of under-construction tunnel of Uttarkashi ,prior leaving the place for Diwali celebration with their families got trapped by the sudden debris and outset of collapse.
According to the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) , racing against the time the rescue team was immediately rushed to the site initiating the operation rescue.
The incident took place at the distance of 205 metres from the mouth of an under-construction tunnel and the trapped workers are nearly 55 to 60 metres away from where muck is piled.
Upon the critical measures, within the hours of the incident the communication barrier was resolved between the trapped and rescuers. First they communicated by the scrap of paper notes and later they inserted the chimney foundation and some minor clearance of debris through which they began the walkie-talkie communication.
“All the 40 workers trapped inside the tunnel are safe ,”saidKaramveer Singh Bhandari, a senior Commander in the National Disaster Response Force to media.
Superintendent of Police of Uttarkashi, Sh. Arpan Yaduvanshisaid, “Initially they panicked, but we managed to pacify them by explaining our rescue operations. They said there is no shortage of oxygen as no one is complaining about breathing issues. We are sending raw food materials like grams etc.”
Experts from irrigation department and high tech machines and machinery were bought for this operation.
The two ways of rescue op
Primarily, they constructed the escape passage reaching the workers over of distance 40 metres. Excavation with shotcretingmanaged to removed the 21 metres of slab and the more 19 was yet to be cleared.
By the process, rescue team head Mr. Durgesh Rathodiaccording to officials expressed , “ Due to excess debris in the tunnel, we are facing some difficulties in the rescue, but our team is leaving no stone unturned.”
Along with the communication, oxygen and food with the electricity was provided due to shotcreting which built the trust between the trapped workers and the rescuers regarding the hope of immediate rescue. The workers also had the buffer of around 400 metres to walk and breathe.
As True To Life reaches out to relatives of the trapped, speaking to us on Tuesday, family member of one of the stuck worker from Uttarkashi Tunnel collapse site expresses, “Administrationis very cooperative with serving through challenges they are facing mentally as well as physically while inside.”
Rescue team planned for the second way of the rescue by inserting the large diameter of steel pipes horizontally in the tunnel that reaches to the workers so that they could safely crawlout from the pipe itself.
Around 160 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, the state Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, and various police departments are all involved in the rescue operation of this incident.
Nearly, 4.5 km long under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot on the Yamunotri National Highway of the Uttarakhandunder a Char Dham project connecting the holiest places by the peak of Himalayan regions. This collapse has effected the core and reminded the history of very such tunnel collapse of 2019 Uttarakhand.
Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha according to the officials has informed ,“ The rescue will be possibly done by the tonight or Wednesday.”
Moreover, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the site on Monday for the insight of the situation and directed the officials to speed up the rescue process.
He also assured the families of the effected and reassured with the back help from the PM Modi stating, to the press “ Prime Minister Narendra Modi took detailed information about the rescue and relief work through the phone and has assured us all possible help in the matter.”
All the authorities and citizens only aspire for the safety of the workers.
Sources : various news agency.
Article by Sanjana Shelar from Mumbai for True to Life .