New Delhi: It has been 13 days since 41 workers got stuck inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district after a landslide caused a cave-in on Diwali. The rescue operation, which involves multiple agencies and machines, has faced several difficulties and delays. The latest setback occurred on Thursday, when the platform supporting the drilling machine developed cracks and forced the drilling to stop.
Here is a timeline of the events that have unfolded since the disaster:
On November 12, the tunnel, which is part of the Brahmkhal-Yamunotri highway project, collapsed at around 5.30 am, trapping the workers inside. The district administration and other authorities started the rescue mission and provided oxygen, electricity and food to the workers through pipes.
On November 13, the rescuers managed to communicate with the workers through a pipe and confirmed that they were safe. However, the debris inside the tunnel increased from 30 metres to 60 metres as more rubble fell from above.
On November 14, the rescuers brought steel pipes of different diameters to insert through the debris with the help of an auger machine, which is used for horizontal digging. However, two workers were injured when more rubble fell from the cavity.
On November 15, the rescuers decided to replace the first auger machine with a more advanced one, which was airlifted from Delhi.
On November 16, the new auger machine was installed and started working. It drilled about 24 metres through the 57-metre debris stretch by the afternoon and inserted four pipes. The fifth pipe encountered an obstacle and the drilling stopped.
On November 17, another high-performance auger machine was brought from Indore to assist in the rescue efforts. However, in the evening, a loud cracking sound was heard in the tunnel, indicating a possible further collapse. The experts advised to suspend the operation immediately.
On November 18, the drilling did not resume as the experts feared that the vibrations from the auger machine might cause more damage to the tunnel and endanger the rescuers. The officials and experts explored other options, including vertical drilling from the top of the tunnel.
On November 19, Union minister Nitin Gadkari reviewed the rescue operation and said that horizontal drilling with the auger machine seemed to be the best option. He expected a breakthrough within two and a half days.
On November 20, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami and took stock of the rescue operations. He also stressed on the need to keep the morale of the workers high. The rescuers pushed a six-inch-wide pipeline through the debris, which helped them supply more food and other essentials to the workers. However, the horizontal drilling remained suspended due to the boulder blocking the auger machine.
On November 21, the rescuers released the first video of the workers inside the tunnel. The workers, wearing yellow and white helmets, were seen sitting on the floor of the tunnel, holding placards with messages of hope and gratitude. They also thanked the rescuers and the government for their efforts.
November 22: Ambulances are kept on standby and a special ward at a local health centre is made ready.
Horizontal drilling of 800 mm diameter steel pipes reaches about 45 metres with only 12 metres remaining of the around 57-metre debris stretch. However, in a late evening development, the drilling hits a hurdle when some iron rods come in the way of the auger machine.
November 23: The iron obstruction that had caused a delay of six hours in the drilling is removed in the morning. Rescue operations are resumed.
State government’s nodal officer tells reporters that drilling had progressed by 1.8 metre after Wednesday night’s setback.
Officials say the 48-metre point has been reached by the drill. But boring through the rubble had to be put on hold again apparently after cracks appeared in the platform on which the drilling machine rests
