Uttarakashi: Minister of State of Road Transport and Highways VK Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the Silkaya tunnel in Uttarakashi on Thursday to inspect the progress of the rescue operation of 41 workers. Speaking to reporters about the rescue operations outside the site, CM Dhami said that 45 metres of pipeline have been laid through an auger machine to rescue the workers. "45 metres of pipeline have been laid through the auger machine. The rescue is in its final stages. There are some obstacles,. but I hope that the workers are rescued as early as possible. Post-rescue preparations have been done". Speaking on the post-rescue operations, CM said, "Ambulances and hospitals are ready for their (workers) check-up and treatment". He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is receiving updates about the multiple rescue operations on a daily basis. "PM Modi is taking updates on the rescue every single day. He took the update today as well. Our experts are working day and night to rescue the workers," He said. The workers have been trapped for 12 days after a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12. Meanwhile, Chanchal Singh Bisht, a family member of one of the trapped workers, said while speaking to ANI, "My cousin is inside. It looks like he will come out today... I had a conversation with him, he asked me to go home and said that he was fine." Earlier, medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday. According to officials, the workers are expected to be pulled out from the collapsed tunnel today. The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a Uttarakhand tunnel for the past 12 days is in its critical phase. As of midnight, rescue teams had said that about 10 metres of debris separated them from the trapped workers. According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction. A 41-bed hospital readied at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for medical examination and care of trapped workers after they are evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Rescue workers said the workers would go through a detailed medical examination once they reached the hospital. —ANI

Minister of State of Road Transport and Highways VK Singh and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the Silkaya tunnel in Uttarakashi 

Tunnel Collapse: Minister VK Singh, CM Dhami Reach Silkayara Site; CM Says, 'Hope Workers Are Rescued As Early As Possible'

Uttarkashi: International tunnel expert Arnold Dix who is aiding in the rescue process of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel on Thursday morning said the operation has progressed significantally and it seems they were "knocking at the front door." "At the moment, it's like we are there at the front door and we are knocking on it. We know that the guys are there on the other side. I am going to have a look and see what is happening," Dix told reporters. The international tunneling expert said on Thursday that his promise has always been of bringing all 41 workers back home safe. "At the moment, it's like we are there at the front door and we are knocking on it. We know that the guys are there on the other side where we can't get in so I am going to have a look and see what is happening," said Dix. Meanwhile, Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi said that 12 metres of drilling through the debris remains to reach the workers. The workers are trapped behind roughly 60 metres of debris on the Silkyara side of the tunnel between Silyara and Barkot. Rescuers had by Wednesday night managed to push through. Head of rescue team leading NHIDCL, Colonel Deepak Patil told ANI this morning that the work of laying down two pipelines is still left and their length is approximately 12 metres. "Last night we got the information that a thick iron block had caused some problems in the drilling process. The block has been cut and if no further problems like this arise, then the remaining 12 metre of drilling will be finished soon and the rescue mission will also soon be completed," Uttarkashi Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi said. He further said, "Our post-rescue action plan is ready. We will take the workers with a police escort and make sure that the best possible treatment is provided to them. I think they will be taken to Chinyalisaur and then if necessary to Rishikesh. Some VIP movements are going to take place. Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) will also be coming." Preparations to evacuate the 41 workers trapped in the Silkayara tunnel in Uttarkashi since November 12 are in the final stage, the Uttrakhand Chief Minister's Office said in a press release earlier. Meanwhile, medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday. According to officials, the workers are expected to be pulled out from the collapsed tunnel today. The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a Uttarakhand tunnel for the past 12 days is in its critical phase. As of midnight, rescue teams had said that about 10 metres of debris separated them from the trapped workers. According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction. A 41-bed hospital readied at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for medical examination and care of trapped workers after they are evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Rescue workers said the workers would go through a detailed medical examination once they reached the hospital. —ANI

International tunnel expert Arnold Dix who is aiding in the rescue process of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel on Thursday

Uttarakhand Rescue Ops: 'It's Like We're There, Knocking At Front Door' Says Tunnelling Expert Arnold Dix

Uttarkashi: Medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday. According to officials, the workers are expected to be pulled out from the collapsed tunnel today. The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a Uttarakhand tunnel for the past 12 days is in its critical phase. As of midnight, rescue teams had said that about 10 metres of debris separated them from the trapped workers. According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction. A 41-bed hospital readied at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for medical examination and care of trapped workers after they are evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Rescue workers said the workers would go through a detailed medical examination once they reached the hospital. Earlier in the night, NDRF personnel also carried oxygen cylinders at Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to assist in the ongoing rescue operation. The area of entrapment, measuring 8.5 meters in height and 2 kilometres in length, is the built-up portion of the tunnel, offering safety to the labourers with available electricity and water supply. —ANI

Medical equipment reached the site as efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi continued on the 12th day on Thursday

Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Rescue Operation At Critical Stage, Medical Equipment Reach Silkyara Site

Uttarakashi: Prayers are being held for the safe passage of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi since November 12, as the rescue operation enters its final stage. The prayers were offered at a temple built at the main entrance of the tunnel days after the incident took place. This even as more technical experts arrived to aide in the rescue operation. Former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe, supervising the multi-agency rescue operation, reached the tunnel site on Thursday. According to Kulbe one of the main hindrances, the presence of steel rods along the path of the rescue pipes have now been removed. "I am happy to tell you the entire steel that was obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed. We are trying to move 6 metres ahead of the 45-metre mark that we have already reached. During drilling last night, an iron metal had come in, due to which the work was stopped. We hope that there will be no more obstructions in our way ahead" Bhaskar Kulbe said. International Tunnelling Expert Arnold Dix, while speaking to ANI from the site, said, "At the moment, it's like we are there at the front door and we are knocking on it. We know that the guys are there on the other side. I am going to have a look and see what is happening." Speaking on the post-rescue action plan, Uttarkashi SP Arpan Yaduvanshi said, "Our post-rescue action plan is ready. We will take the workers through the green corridor with a police escort and make sure that the best possible treatment is being provided to them. I think they will be taken to Chinyalisaur and then, if necessary, to Rishikesh." "Some VIP movements are going to take place. Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) and Secretary, North, will also be coming," Yaduvanshi added. Chief Scientist and tunnel expert from Roorkee, RD Dwivedi also reached the Silkyara tunnel site. The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a Uttarakhand tunnel for the past 12 days is in its critical phase. Machine and technical experts have also arrived at the site to help in the process. As of midnight, rescue teams had said that about 10 metres of debris separated them from the trapped workers. According to rescue teams, the operation involved drilling through the debris to push wide pipes for the trapped workers to walk out through. The auger machine, which drills through about 3 metres of debris in an hour, had earlier hit a metal obstruction. A 41-bed hospital readied at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for medical examination and care of trapped workers after they are evacuated from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. Rescue workers said the workers would go through a detailed medical examination once they reached the hospital. Earlier in the night, NDRF personnel also carried Oxygen cylinders at Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel to assist in the ongoing rescue operation. The area of entrapment, measuring 8.5 meters in height and 2 kilometres in length, is the built-up portion of the tunnel, offering safety to the labourers with available electricity and water supply. —ANI

Prayers are being held for the safe passage of the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi since November 12

Steel Rods Blocking Rescue Efforts Removed At Slikyara Tunnel Collapse Site, Prayers Offered For Safe Passage Of 41 Trapped Workers

Uttarkashi: As the multi-rescue operation to provide a safe passage to 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi enters a critical stage, images of an auger drilling machine facing obstruction to save workers surfaced on Thursday afternoon. Some of the images showing the steel obstructing the free movement of the rescue pipe inside the tunnel and blocking the other side of the under-construction tunnel have been accessed by ANI. In one of the images, a shadow of a man is apparently seen capturing the moments on his mobile phone. The debris was removed later, as per officials. Rescuers, using a US auger machine, resumed drilling on Tuesday and, by late night on Wednesday, drilled through 45 metres out of the 60-metre stretch of debris that blocked the Sikyara side of the under-construction tunnel stretching from Silkyara to Barkot. Speaking on the preparations for the post-rescue operation, expected by the end of the day, Dr Narinder Kumar at Hospital Administration, AIIMS Rishikesh, said while speaking to ANI, "If needed, there is a plan to bring the rescued people here. The government has made arrangements at the district hospital in Uttarkashi." "They will be taken there first. We have also made arrangements here. Trauma and ICU beds have been reserved for them." Project Manager, Operation 108 Ambulance, Mukesh Nautiyal, told ANI that five ambulances have been kept on standby outside the tunnel site. "A total of 31 ambulances are here. Out of 31 ambulances, 7 are advanced life support (ALS), while others are basic life support (BLS). 27 ambulances are here, and there are 5 ambulances near the tunnel... All the ambulances are well equipped; it's like a mini-emergency." District Programme Officer, 108 Ambulance, Narendra Badoni, told ANI on Thursday that workers with "serious complications", will be shifted to ALS. "Directions have been issued that as soon as workers are rescued, the ambulances will be numbered. Workers with serious ailments will be shifted to ALS equipped with a cardiac monitor and normal patients to BLS". Speaking to ANI, the Uttarkashi District Magistrate said that only a little more work is left for the completion of the rescue operation, which has been ongoing for the past 12 days. Uttarkashi District Magistrate said, "We have covered a majority of the distance and there is now only a little more work left. Our teams are continuously trying to overcome the technical problems that we are facing. We are taking advice from experts and skilled people, some of whom are also called to the spot. "It is not possible to say when the rescue will end but the work is continuously going on and being monitored by the state and the central government," he said. According to a state government official, the rescue operation is at its final stage, as the trapped workers are likely to be pulled out today. On November 12, a portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed and debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside. The workers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion, which is complete, including concrete work that provides safety to the workers. —ANI

As the multi-rescue operation to provide a safe passage to 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi enters a critical stage

Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Images Show Steel Obstructing Free Movement Of Rescue Pipe

Uttarkashi: All 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel are practising yoga and other exercises while rescuers work to create an escape route, according to Jaymal Singh Negi, brother of Gabbar Singh Negi - one of the men stranded for 12 days. Negi also expressed hope for 'good news' soon. On November 12, a section of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed, trapping 41 labourers in debris on the Silkyara side. The trapped workers are in a 2 km-built portion, complete with concrete work for their safety. Among the trapped labourers, two each are from Uttarakhand and Assam, one from Himachal, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five each from Bihar and Odisha, three from West Bengal, and 15 others are from Jharkhand. While speaking to ANI, Jaymal Singh Negi mentioned that his brother informed him about the trapped men engaging in yoga and exercises inside the tunnel. He also advised his brother to continue these activities. "I advised my brother to keep doing yoga, exercise and walking, and he said yes, we are doing it," Negi said. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the rescue site. He spoke to Gabbar Singh Negi and another worker, Saba Ahmed, to inquire about their well-being. Dhami updated them on the ongoing rescue operation and prayed for the well-being of all trapped workers. Rescuers, using an American auger machine, resumed drilling on Tuesday and, by late Wednesday night, drilled through 45 meters of the 60-meter debris stretch blocking the Sikyara side of the tunnel. Lt General (Rtd) Syed Ata Hasnain of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) likened the rescue operation to a "war" with unpredictable timelines. "This operation is just like a war situation where one keeps guessing about enemy moves," he said. He further mentioned that in this operation 'Himalayan geology' is the enemy. Inspector-General of Police Garhwal Range KS Nagnyal also mentioned that the rescue's duration is uncertain due to machinery work. "The attempt at the rescue is in progress and rescue is expected to be carried out very soon. It is machinery work so a stipulated time can't be decided. The rescue work will go on at night as well," IG said. A total of 41 ambulances are stationed at the Silkyara tunnel site, with 31 from '108' and 10 provided by the administration, as informed by Mukesh Nautiyal, the project manager of the Operation 108 Ambulance initiative. —ANI

All 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel are practising yoga and other exercises while rescuers work to create an escape route

Trapped Workers 'Doing Yoga' Amid Rescue Efforts; Relatives Hope For 'Good News' In Silkyara Tunnel Ordeal

New Delhi: Even as all efforts were being made to rescue the 41 trapped workers in the Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said that the government must provide them proper compensation for risking their lives to serve the nation. In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, "For last 12 days, 41 labourers are trapped in the tunnel in Silkyara, Uttarkashi. The news is that the ongoing operation to save them is moving towards success and there is hope that everyone will come out safely soon. We pray to God that all the workers come out as soon as possible and reach their homes in good health. The prayers of the entire country are with him." She said, "I urge the government to provide proper compensation and help to these workers, who are risking their lives day and night to serve the nation." Her remarks came after the rescue operations to evacuate 41 workers trapped for the 12 days in Uttarkashi’s Silkyara Tunnel made significant progress as the final phase commenced on Thursday morning. A 41-bed ward has been prepared at the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre, with an equal number of ambulances stationed outside the tunnel to transport the evacuees as soon as they come out. Until 6 p.m. on Wednesday, a total of 44 metres of the escape pipe had been inserted into the debris. On Tuesday, officials successfully established communication with the trapped workers with the help of an endoscopic camera. The labourers appeared on camera for the first time since being trapped ten days ago. On November 12, it was reported that a portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed due to debris falling in the 60 metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel. —IANS

Even as all efforts were being made to rescue the 41 trapped workers in the Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel

Tunnel Collapse: Govt Must Compensate Workers For Risking Lives To Serve Nation, Says Priyanka

New Delhi: Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday asserted that the Uttarakhand government should take responsibility for the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse incident that has trapped 41 workers since November 12. Speaking to ANI on the incident, the Delhi minister said, "I extend my best wishes to the family members of the trapped workers. The Uttarakhand government should take responsibility for this incident. They should claim responsibility for why an incident this big took place in the first place." He questioned how the construction project was carried out without any soil testing and standard operating procedures. "It is a coincidence that all the workers are safe because they luckily got a space to stay in. How was this big a construction project working without any soil testing and standard operating procedures?" the AAP leader questioned. He demanded that the people who are responsible for this incident must be punished and advised Uttarakhand Government to be more attentive. "These are basic things. All the names of the people who are responsible for this incident must come to light. The government should have been more attentive since such types of incidents have taken place in Uttarakhand before as well," Bharadwaj added. Meanwhile, a total of 41 ambulances have been arranged at the spot of Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers remain trapped. Mukesh Nautiyal, the Project Manager of Operation 108 Ambulance Initiative, said that out of 41 ambulances, 31 are '108' while the other 10 have been provided by the administration. Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi and prayed to the Baukh Nag Devta for the well-being of all the trapped workers. Former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe who reached the Silkyara tunnel collapse site on Thursday morning, said that the entire steel obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed. According to the state government official, the rescue operation is at the final stage as the trapped workers are likely to be pulled out today. On November 12, a portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed and debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside. The workers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion, which is complete, including concrete work that provides safety to the workers. —ANI

Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday asserted that the Uttarakhand government 

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Tunnel Collapse: Minister VK Singh, CM Dhami Reach Silkayara Site; CM Says, 'Hope Workers Are Rescued As Early As Possible'

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Tunnel Collapse: Minister VK Singh, CM Dhami Reach Silkayara Site; CM Says, 'Hope Workers Are Rescued As Early As Possible'

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