Uttarakhand tunnel rescue latest update: As many as 41 construction workers continued to remain trapped under the debris of a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi on the ninth day on Monday as rescue teams struggle to find a way to extract them.
As the rescue teams race against time to save the trapped workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take stock of the situation. The prime minister has asked rescuers to keep the morale of the workers high.
Below are the 10 points on the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue:
- In latest development, rescue teams have successfully installed a new six inch pipe to supply food to the trapped workers.
- The prime minister has spoken to Uttarakhand CM to take stock of the situation. He stressed on the need to keep the workers morale high as they continue to remain trapped for more nine days.
- After the horizontal drilling plan was met with e setback, rescue teams derived a new plan to drill a vertical hole on top of the hill under which the collapsed tunnel is located.
- However, the vertical drilling also halted yesterday evening after hitting a snag. The rescue operation is likely to take 5 more days to complete.
- Meanwhile, international tunneling expert Arnold Dix Monday arrived at the spot to review the progress of the rescue work. Dix heads the Geneva-based International Tunneling and Underground Space Association.
- The Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) has also sent two robots to assist in the rescue mission.
- Earlier, Union Minister of Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari also reached the spot and offered Centre’s full support.
- Gadkari has also assured a thorough inquiry once the rescue operation is completed.
- A team from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has recently paid a visit to the collapsed tunnel site and keeping an eye on the entire rescue operation.
- At least 41 workers are trapped inside a 400 meter buffer zone of the unfinished tunnel after a portion it collapsed following a landslide on November 12. The tunnel is part of the Char Dham all-weather road.