The 41 workers stuck in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara are likely to see sunlight on Thursday, for the first time since they were trapped on November 12, according to rescue teams working round the clock to create an escape route. By 5 p.m. on Wednesday evening, agencies had managed to drill through 45 metres of debris in a bid to reach the workers trapped between the 53- and 59-metre mark.
However, the rescue work, which picked up pace over the last 36 hours was halted late on Wednesday evening when the auger machine used to bore through debris struck an obstacle, reportedly a giant rock. The operation was delayed as agencies mulled the best way to remove the obstacle. Agencies are also taking multiple other approaches from both sides of the tunnel to reach the workers, to provide alternate options if needed.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has reached Uttarkashi, aiming to meet the workers as soon they are able to exit the collapsed tunnel. “If all goes as planned, there will be a good news for everyone on Thursday,” senior Uttarakhand government official Bhaskar Khulbe said in a media briefing on Wednesday evening.
