Uttarakhand tunnel rescue
| Uttarkashi | |
| Date | 12 November 2023 |
|---|---|
| Time | 05:30 IST |
| Location | Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India |
| Coordinates | 30°45′26.9″N 78°15′48.8″E / 30.757472°N 78.263556°E |
| Missing | 40 |
The 2023 Uttarakhand tunnel collapse occurred on 12 November 2023, when a portion of the Silkyara Bend - Barkot tunnel, under construction, collapsed in the Uttarkashi district of the state of Uttarakhand, India.[1][2] The collapse occurred at around 5:30 am lST, and trapped 41 workers inside the tunnel. Rescue operations were immediately launched, and they were led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the police.[3][4]
Construction
The Silkyara Bend - Barkot tunnel was being constructed by Navayuga Engineering Construction Limited (NECL)[5] as part of the Char Dham all-weather road project connecting four sites sacred to Hindus, and it was located on the Yamunotri end of National Highway 134. That National Highway is planned to connect Yamunotri on the south end to Dharasu on the north end. The tunnel will shorten the route by about 20 kilometres (12 mi).[6][7] It is planned to be 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) long.[8]
Collapse
At approximately 5:30 am on 12 November 2023, a section of the Silkyara tunnel under construction on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarakhand collapsed. The collapse occurred around 200 meters from the entrance of the tunnel, trapping approximately 41 construction workers inside.[9] A team of geologists from the state government and educational institutions was sent to the scene in order to determine the possible cause of the incident.[10]
Rescue efforts
Two tunnel boring machines have been deployed during the rescue efforts, the second (flown in in three parts) after the progress of the first was insufficiently speedy.[11]
Drilling through the debris in the tunnel was stopped on 17 November after cracking sounds were heard. Alternative access tunnels have been started parallel and adjacent to the existing main tunnel. A further approach which is in preparation would involve drilling down from the surface of the terrain above the tunnel.[12]
Three pipes were drilled during the operation, one providing oxygen, one providing passage for dry food, and a 6 inches (15 cm)-wide pipe that was used to supply hot meals and allow the insertion of an endoscopic camera.[13]
On 21 November, it was reported that communication with (and supply to) the trapped workers using a wider pipe had been established. The pipes had been used to provide dried fruits and other foods (including hot meals consisting of rice and lentils), oxygen, and other essentials to the men along with a small flexible camera to film and communicate with them. At this stage, as well as drilling through the rubble in the tunnel, there were efforts to drill three vertical shafts.[14][15][13]
The rescue team has contacted the team that freed the students from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand in 2018.[16]
Investigation
The Uttarakhand government has formed a six-member expert committee to investigate the cause of the collapse of the section of tunnel. The committee, led by the Director of Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre, will examine the reasons for the collapse in the Silkyara Tunnel.[17]
See also
References
- ^ Sebastian, Meryl (14 November 2023). "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescuers race to save 41 workers trapped in India tunnel". BBC News. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Update: How Will The Trapped Workers Be Rescued?". NBC Right Now. India times. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Rescuers dig to reach 41 workers trapped in collapsed road tunnel in north India". AP News. 13 November 2023. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "40 Indian workers to spend third night trapped in collapsed tunnel as rescue slows". The Independent. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: All eyes on Hyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering". www.msn.com. MSN. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ Mogul, Rhea; Iyer, Aishwarya; Suri, Manveena (13 November 2023). "Rescuers scramble to reach up to 40 workers trapped in Himalayan tunnel collapse". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (13 November 2023). "Rescue operation under way in India to save workers trapped after tunnel collapse". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Opinion: Analysis: Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse - Makings Of A Disaster". NDTV.com. 17 November 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
- ^ "Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse Live Updates: Workers to be rescued through large-diameter steel pipes inserted through rubble". The Indian Express. 13 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ "Heavy machinery brought in to pull out workers from collapsed tunnel in India". CNA. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
- ^ Clarance, Andrew; Mollan, Cherylann (16 November 2023). "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: New drill machine brings hope to trapped Indian workers". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "Rescuers to drill new tunnels for trapped India workers". BBC News. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ a b "41 workers stuck in a tunnel in India for 10th day given hot meals as rescue operation shifts gear". AP News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
- ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse LIVE updates: Govt releases regionwise list of trapped workers". Hindustan Times. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ Clarance, Andrew; Mollan, Cherylann (21 November 2023). "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: First video emerges of trapped Indian workers". Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ Mogul, Rhea (16 November 2023). "Indian authorities contact Thai cave rescue team as urgency increases to reach trapped men". CNN. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Uttarakhand forms expert committee to investigate Uttrakashi tunnel collapse". The Times of India. 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.