Rescue efforts to drill an 80 centimetre-wide pipe to rescue 40 workers stuck in a tunnel under construction at Uttarkashi were halted on November 17 due to “vibrations” that were disturbing the “surface equilibrium”, according to Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, which is building the tunnel. There are also reports that the machine used to drill the hole has been damaged, and Mr. Khalkho confirmed that a backup is being flown in.
The workers have been stuck since Sunday morning after rubble fell from the roof of the excavated section, trapping them behind several metres of rocks and possibly metal equipment. It was initially estimated that the drilling could be done at a speed of five metres an hour, but the possibility of further rubble and the risk of breaking the pipe has made authorities proceed at a slower pace.
