In the past, tunnel drilling has been interrupted several times due to material falling from the tunnel roof and heavy machinery breaking down. The families of the trapped workers say that the men are getting desperate.
of India authorities plan to switch tactics and try to drill a new vertical tunnel to rescue 41 construction workers from a collapsed road tunnel.
The news agencies AFP and Reuters and the British Broadcasting Corporation report on the matter BBC.
An unfinished road tunnel collapsed a week ago on Sunday, November 12, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand near the village of Dandalgaon. Attempts have been made to rescue workers trapped in the more than four kilometer long tunnel being built through the hill without success so far.
It was previously reported that there were 40 workers, but on Saturday the authorities confirmed the exact number to be 41.
The beginning originally, an attempt was made to save the workers by drilling horizontally through the rubble consisting of soil, stone and concrete. The purpose was to install a 90 centimeter wide pipe through which the workers could be pulled out.
However, drilling has been interrupted several times due to material falling from the roof of the tunnel and heavy machinery breaking down.
According to AFP, the rescue work was temporarily suspended on Friday after banging started to be heard from the tunnel. The sounds caused panic, and authorities considered another collapse possible.
For a rescue operation the participating administration official Bhaskar Khulbe said on Saturday evening that in order to save the workers, they are now considering digging a new tunnel. One of the options would be a tunnel drilled vertically above the road tunnel.
According to Khulbe, the workers could be rescued “in four or five days at the most”, but he did not provide more detailed information.
According to pictures taken from the scene, the rescue workers already started preparing to drill a tunnel from the top of the hill on Saturday. According to a document seen by Reuters, there are two planned routes for the vertical tunnel.
According to the BBC, the head of federal rescue teams Naman Narula said on Saturday that the tunnel to be drilled from above would be 90-105 meters long.
Rescue workers used an excavator on Saturday to clear a path to the top of the hill.
The authorities food, water and oxygen have been delivered through a tube to the trapped construction workers. They have also been given vitamin C tablets, mood medications and other medical needs.
The employees are contacted by radio telephone, and they have been able to talk to their family members. According to the families interviewed by AFP, the men are getting desperate.
On Saturday, almost a hundred construction workers gathered near the accident site, demanding the authorities to act faster to save their colleagues.
An accident the cause has not been determined. However, landslides, earthquakes and floods are common in Uttarakhand, and experts have warned of the potential impact of major construction projects in the region.
The construction of the tunnel is part of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi’s The Himalayan Highway project aims to improve road connectivity in Uttarakhand and ease travel between popular Hindu pilgrimage sites.
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