Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: video released of trapped workers
22 November 2023A video of the 21 men trapped in a tunnel in India's Uttarakhand state was released yesterday.
The footage was filmed after a second “lifeline” pipe was drilled on Monday. Rescuers are also using the new 15cm diameter pipe to provide hot meals to the men, who have now been trapped for 11 days.
The part collapse in the Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel occurred on November 12.
Geology in the Himalayan region is very complex and an initial attempt to build a horizontal escape route was hampered by falling debris. The rescue team has now pursued other options, including vertical shafts.
ITA president Arnold Dix, who arrived in Uttarakhand at the weekend, told local media yesterday that “work is being done for auguring for the evacuation tunnel”. The tunnel wold also include safe places for the rescue team.
The 4.5km Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel is being developed for National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) to provide an all-weather route and reduce travel distance by about 20km between Dharasu and Yamunotri.
