Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Will Reach Victims In 2-2.5 Days If Auger Machine Works Properly, Says Gadkari

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that the rescuers could reach the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse victims in 2 to 2.5 days if auger machine works properly.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday visited the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse site with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and conducted an on-site inspection of the ongoing relief and rescue work as efforts were still underway to rescue 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel, a part of which collapsed a week ago. 

Speaking to the reporters on-site, Gadkari said: "If the auger machine works properly, we will be able to reach them (victims) in the next 2-2.5 days."

"The first priority of this operation is to keep the victims alive. Roads are being made by BRO to bring special machines. Several machines have arrived here. Two auger machines are currently working to carry out rescue operations. The strata of this Himalayan terrain are complicated," Gadkari added.

Ahead of the visit, Dhami said that all available possibilities are being worked out to rescue the trapped workers.

"We are working on all the possibilities available. All types of expert teams are working here... Under the monitoring of PM Modi, we are continuously working. Saving everyone's life is our first priority," he said. 

"For this, the state government is ready to give all the help required to all the agencies... I will pray to God that they get rescued sooner, as their trouble is increasing with each passing day," the CM added. 

Secretary at Ministry of Road and Transport, Anurag Jain told PTI on Sunday that electricity and water is available in the tunnel. 

"There is a space of 2 km... Since the first day, we have been sending food through the 4-inch wall. As sunlight is not reaching there, we are sending Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and antidepressants as doctors suggested," he said. 

"These people have been working in the tunnel for a long time, so there is no disappointment among them, and they are looking forward to coming out. It will take some time, but we will eventually get them out," Jain added. 

Meanwhile, the Border Road Organisation has started construction of an access road to facilitate vertical drilling. The officials present at the spot said that the work on building the road began on Saturday evening by BRO for initiating vertical drilling to reach 41 workers trapped for seven days, according to a PTI report. 

Pipes with larger diameters have also been inserted up to a length of 42 metres through the debris this morning to provide food and other essential items to the trapped workers. 

Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Sinha said: "We are inserting a 900mm diameter pipe with the help of the Auger machine. We have reached 22 meters and we are going ahead rapidly. There is a lifeline pipe for sending food and other necessary items. We are inserting another pipe above it because there was less debris there. There we have gone till 42 meters and only a few meters are left. We will have another pipe for life support when that becomes ready..."