DEHRADUN: Rescue operations at the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 men have been trapped for 12 days, faced another setback on Friday as drilling was halted once again.
Officials reported that the auger drilling machine encountered an obstacle, likely a metal object, shortly after resuming operations on Friday. This occurred a day after a technical snag had prompted a temporary halt in the drilling operation.
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Although the earlier technical issue was resolved, the 25-tonne auger machine had to be stopped again after encountering the new obstacle, marking the second setback in two days.
The collaborative rescue effort, involving multiple agencies, commenced on November 12 when a section of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed, trapping workers inside.
Rescue workers noted that the drill bit had been withdrawn through the already bored passage. Steel pipes were inserted into the bored passage to facilitate the extraction of the trapped individuals. The rescue effort had progressed to 48.6 meters out of the estimated 57 meters of rubble blocking the tunnel, as reported earlier in the day.
(With agency inputs)
