A total of 41 ambulances have been arranged at the location of Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers remain trapped, an official stated on Thursday. Mukesh Nautiyal, the Project Manager of Operation 108 Ambulance initiative, mentioned that out of the 41 ambulances, 31 are of ‘108’, while the remaining 10 have been provided by the administration.
“There are 41 ambulances, with 31 being of ‘108’, and the other 10 provided by the administration. Out of the 31, 7 are ALS (Advanced Life Support), while the others are BLS (Basic Life Support). Twenty-seven ambulances are here, and there are 5 ambulances near the tunnel. All the ambulances are well-equipped, it’s like a mini emergency,” Nautiyal told ANI.
Narendra Badoni, District Program Officer of 108 Ambulance, explained that all the ambulances will be numbered, and serious patients will be shifted to the ‘Advanced Life Support’ ambulance. “As the workers are rescued from the Silkyara tunnel, the ambulances will be numbered, and we will be informed about which ambulance will go where. Serious patients will be shifted to ALS, and normal patients will be kept in BLS. ALS is advanced life support with a cardiac monitor, and BLS is basic life support,” he said.
Earlier today, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed her wishes for the safety of the 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel and urged the government to provide proper compensation to them.
Inspector-General (IG) of Police Garhwal Range KS Nagnyal, speaking about the ongoing rescue operation of the trapped 41 workers at the Sikyara tunnel, mentioned on Thursday that the stipulated time for the rescue cannot be decided as it is machinery work.
“The attempt at rescue is in progress, and rescue is expected to be carried out very soon. It is machinery work, so a stipulated time can’t be decided. The rescue work will go on at night as well,” said IG.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Secretary and Nodal Officer for the Silkayara rescue operation, Neeraj Khairwal, said on Thursday that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) had a conversation with the trapped workers, confirming that they are fine.
Former advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, Bhaskar Khulbe, who reached the Silkyara tunnel collapse site on Thursday morning, stated that the entire steel obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed.
According to a state government official, the rescue operation is at the final stage, and the trapped workers are likely to be pulled out today.
On November 12, a portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed, and debris falling in the 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 laborers inside. The workers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion, which is complete, including concrete work that provides safety to the workers.
