Rescuers have drilled about 46 meters in the Silkyara tunnel
Fresh hurdles have emerged in ongoing rescue operations being conducted at Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand as machines have again stopped. Efforts are now being made manually to inch closer to the trapped 41 workers.
"Auger machine has encountered some difficulty again and that's why it's being dismantled again. Simultaneously efforts are being made to way to trapped workers manually," an officer in the knowledge of the operation said.
According to him, it seems that workers are unlikely to come out tonight now.
"We are analysing the debris and trying to figure out if they can push through it or if it can be cut manually," he said.
The workers have been trapped for the past 12 days after a portion of the under-construction tunnel on the Uttarakhand Char Dham route collapsed on November 12.
Here are the LIVE updates on the rescue operations:
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Family Of Trapped Odisha Workers To Visit UttarakhandThe Odisha government is sending family members of three of the five Odia workers who were trapped inside the collapsed under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand, the news agency reported citing an official.
The family members of the two other labourers are already in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district where the incident occurred.
"While family members of two workers are already in Uttarkashi, family members of another three workers will travel there on Saturday morning," Labour Commissioner N Thirumala Naik told PTI.
"Workers Unlikely To Come Out Tonight": Official As Drilling Stopped AgainFresh hurdles have emerged in ongoing rescue operations being conducted at Silkyara tunnel as machines have again stopped and now efforts are being made manually to inch closer to the trapped 41 workers.
"Auger machine has encountered some difficulty again and that's why it's being dismantled again. Simultaneously efforts are being made to way to trapped workers manually," an officer in knowledge of operation said.
According to him, it seems that workers are unlikely to come out tonight now.
"We are analysing the debris and trying to figure out if they can push through it or if it can be cut manually," he said.
Drilling To Rescue 41 Trapped Workers Halted Again: Officials
Drilling at Uttarakhand tunnel to rescue 41 trapped workers has been halted again, officials said.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Takes Stock Of Uttarkashi Rescue OpsUttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today took stock of the rescue operation of the 41 workers trapped in a portion of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. He directed the officials that the last phase of the rescue operation should be conducted at a fast pace and with complete caution.
"The responsibility of saving the precious lives of 41 people trapped in the tunnel is on all of us. The people involved in the campaign will have to work day and night to make the mission successful with full efficiency, capacity, promptness and caution. There will be no shortage of resources for this work," he was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
"This Is A War Being Fought To Save Sons Of India": Rescue OfficialA senior rescue official said that their efforts were "like battle" and that the final stretch was "critical".
"By any means, we must get these brave men out", Syed Ata Hasnain told reporters today, adding that "all resources" needed were being utilised.
"This is a war that is being fought to save the sons of India who have been toiling up there in the mountains," he said.
"We are going to be very, very careful in further progress", Mr Hasnain, a retired general, added.
"Trapped Workers In Good Frame Of Mind": OfficialA senior government official overseeing rescue efforts told reporters today that the trapped workers are in "good frame of mind".
"We have to (drill) 14 metres further inside the tunnel," Bhaskar Khulbe said.
"Pushing In Just Two More Pipes May Get Us To Trapped Workers": OfficialOnly 10-12 metres of drilling is left for rescuers to reach the 41 construction workers trapped in the Uttarakhand tunnel for the 13th day now, but giving a timeframe for the rescue is difficult because unexpected hurdles have been delaying the work, senior officials said today afternoon.
"Rescue Op In Its Last Step" Uttarakhand Chief MinisterUttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today said that the tunnel rescue operation is in its "last step".
Speaking to reporters, he also said that Prime Minister Modi is taking all the updates about the difficulties that workers might face and has been discussing the solutions.
"All the agencies of both the central and state governments are working together for the rescue operation. We hope that soon this operation will be completed and all the workers will come out," he said.
Auger Machine Repaired Now: Uttarakhand GovernmentUttarakhand government has said that the auger machine, which was damaged and had to be disassembled due to steel pipes coming in front of it and the pipe being inserted inside getting bent, has been repaired now.
Workers To Be Rescued By This Evening: ONGC DirectorAmid the ongoing operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed portion of the Uttarkashi tunnel, director ONGC Sanjay Bhatt, who is present at the site, asserted the labourers will be rescued by this evening.
"We are hopeful that the rescue operation will be concluded and the workers brought out safely by today. As of now, there is no major hindrance to the operation and everyone is hopeful that the workers will be rescued by this evening," Mr Bhatt told reporters.
Union Minister General VK Singh Reaches Tunnel Rescue Site
Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, General (retd) VK Singh, reached the Silkyara tunnel site on Friday to take stock of the ongoing efforts to rescue 41 trapped workers.
The workers have now been trapped for 13 days on the opposite end of a portion of the under-construction tunnel, which collapsed on November 12.
The rescue operations entered its final phase on Thursday, with officials saying that only a few metres were left to be drilled for the rescuers to reach the trapped workers.