Uttarakhand tunnel rescue

Coordinates: 30°45′26.9″N 78°15′48.8″E / 30.757472°N 78.263556°E / 30.757472; 78.263556
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Uttarakhand tunnel collapse
Date
  • 12–28 November 2023 (2023-11-12 – 2023-11-28)
  • (16 days)
Time05:30 IST
LocationSilkyara Bend ― Barkot tunnel, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India
Coordinates30°45′26.9″N 78°15′48.8″E / 30.757472°N 78.263556°E / 30.757472; 78.263556
CauseTunnel collapse
ParticipantsArnold Dix, NDRF, Indian Army
OutcomeAll 41 trapped workers rescued

On 12 November 2023, a part of the under construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel collapsed in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India. The collapse occurred at around 5:30 am IST which trapped 41 workers inside the tunnel.[1][2]

Rescue operations were immediately launched, and were led by the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, Uttarakhand Police and engineers from the Indian Army Corps of Engineers and the Border Roads Organisation.[3][4][5][6]

Construction

The Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel was being constructed by Navayuga Engineering Construction Limited (NECL)[7] 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 Dharasu on the south end to Yamunotri on the north end. The tunnel will shorten the route by about 20 kilometres (12 mi).[8][9] It is planned to be 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) long.[10]

Collapse

At approximately 5:30 am on 12 November 2023, a section of the Silkyara tunnel under construction collapsed. The collapse occurred around 200 meters from the entrance of the tunnel, trapping 41 construction workers inside.[11] A team of geologists from the state government and educational institutions was sent to the location in order to determine the possible cause of the incident.[12] According to investigators, the tunnel did not have any escape shafts for evacuation in an emergency and was built in a geological fault.[13]

Rescue efforts

Operation Zindagi was launched by the state government to save the trapped workers.[14] Two tunnel boring machines had been deployed during the rescue efforts, the second (flown in three parts) after the progress of the first was insufficiently speedy.[15] The rescue team had contacted the team that freed the students from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand in 2018.[16]

Drilling through the debris in the tunnel was stopped on 17 November after cracking sounds were heard. Alternative access tunnels had been started parallel and adjacent to the existing main tunnel.[17]

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.[18]

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 endoscopic camera to film and communicate with them. At this stage, along with drilling through the rubble in the tunnel, there were efforts to drill three vertical shafts.[19][20][18]

Problems with the consistency of the rubble and metal rods and a pipe caught in it caused delays to the drilling on 22 and 23 November, with significant repairs required to the drilling machine and its mounting platform on 23 November; at this stage it was believed that the operations had reached 75% of the way through the obstructing debris.[21] A former adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe, expressed the hope that the rescue operation would be finished by the evening of 24 November and that the trapped workers would be evacuated.[22] He also informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very sensitive towards the workers trapped in the Tunnel and was taking detailed information every day about the well-being of the workers and the ongoing relief and rescue operations in the tunnel[23]

On 25 November, the rescue operation faced another setback as the tunnel boring machine (auger) broke and got stuck inside the tunnel, hampering the drilling progress. The rescue team decided to use manual tools such as hammers and chisels to break the debris and reach the trapped workers. It was believed that the drilling had reached a point approximately 9 metres (30 ft) short of breaking through.[24] Meanwhile Australian tunneling expert Arnold Dix, who was part of rescue operation, informed that they needed to approach cautiously and this rescue can happen next day or can take up to next month as they can not rush these through.[25]

On 28 November, 'rat-hole' miners in the rescue team, working manually, broke through the remaining length of debris and pushed a pipe to the trapped workers.[26] The rescue team had planned to evacuate the workers one-by-one on stretchers, throughout the day, in a process that was expected to take several hours.[27]

Later the same day at around 20:50 p.m. IST, it was confirmed by the Government of Uttarakhand that all 41 workers had been successfully rescued. (They came out by crawling without the need of a single stretcher depicting about their fitness level.)[28] Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami and Minister of State for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways V. K. Singh were present at the site welcoming the rescued workers.[29]

A team of 5 doctors, 15 nurses and paramedics were present there with a 8 bedded 'mini hospital' facility inside the tunnel.

The rescued workers were reported to have good health as their essentials were normal and satisfactory and were taken to a medical facility in Chinyalisaur for further assessment.[30] 41 Ambulances were arranged for individuals.

The Indian Air Force has kept a CH-47 Chinook helicopter on standby at an airstrip in Chinyalisaur to airlift workers if necessary.[31]

Investigation

The Uttarakhand government has formed a six-member expert committee to investigate the cause of the tunnel collapse. The committee is led by the Director of Uttarakhand Landslide Mitigation and Management Centre.[32]

On 22 November, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement that it had directed National Highways Authority of India to conduct a safety audit of all the 29 under construction tunnels across the country.[33]

Reaction

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed relief for the successful rescue and wished the workers good health. They also appreciated the efforts by numerous agencies and personnel involved in the rescue operation.[34][35][36]

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ "How Border Roads Organisation Aided The Himalayan Rescue Op". NDTV.com. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel rescue ops: Indian Army's engineer regiment called in for manual drilling". DNA India. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: All eyes on Hyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering". www.msn.com. MSN. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (28 November 2023). "All 41 Indian labourers rescued from collapsed tunnel". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  14. ^ Irshad, Dil Bar (23 November 2023). "Operation Zindagi: State-led Rescue Operation in Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse". BNN Breaking. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "Rescuers to drill new tunnels for trapped India workers". BBC News. 20 November 2023. Archived from the original on 20 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  18. ^ 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. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse LIVE updates: Govt releases regionwise list of trapped workers". Hindustan Times. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  20. ^ Clarance, Andrew; Mollan, Cherylann (21 November 2023). "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: First video emerges of trapped Indian workers". Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Machine repairs prolong ordeal for trapped Indians". www.bbc.com. 24 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  22. ^ India, The Hans (24 November 2023). "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Hope to rescue trapped workers by evening, says Bhaskar Khulbe". www.thehansindia.com. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Uttarakhand CM Dhami inspects tunnel site; Arnold Dix sheds hope amid delay in rescue of trapped workers". The Economic Times (economictimes.indiatimes.com). 25 November 2023. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rescuers to dig by hand to rescue trapped workers". BBC News. 25 November 2023. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Arnold Dix explains cautious rescue operations at Silkyara Tunnel Collapse site | TOI Original – Times of India Videos". The Times of India. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel rescue live: Teams break through to trapped India workers". BBC News. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Indian rescuers reach 41 men trapped in tunnel". The Guardian. 28 November 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Uttarakhand tunnel rescue live: Trapped workers rescued after 17 days". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  29. ^ Mishra, Ishita (28 November 2023). "Uttarkashi tunnel collapse | After 17-day ordeal, trapped workers rescued". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Rescued Workers In Makeshift Hospital Inside Tunnel: 10 Points". NDTV.com. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  31. ^ "Chinook Helicopter On Standby For Uttarakhand Tunnel Workers". NDTV.com. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  32. ^ "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.
  33. ^ "NHAI to undertake safety audits of all 29 under-construction tunnels in India". cnbctv18.com. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  34. ^ "Silkyara tunnel: President Murmu, PM Modi salute officials for 'most difficult rescue mission' | TOI Original – Times of India Videos". The Times of India. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  35. ^ "Tweet by Prime Minister Narendra Modi". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  36. ^ "Tweet by President Droupadi Murmu". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 28 November 2023.
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