Uttarkashi Rescue Updates LIVE: All 41 workers rescued

All workers rescued, Nov 28, 2023 20:35 IST

All 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12, have been successfully rescued.

All workers are currently in the safety tunnel inside the Silkyara tunnel. The workers will be evacuated soon in the Ambulance.

Fifteen out of the 41 workers rescued, Nov 28, 2023 20:17 IST

Fifteen out of the 41 workers who have been trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12 have been successfully rescued.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has met the workers who have been rescued along with Union Minister of State General (Retd) VK Singh.

First five trapped workers come out of the tunnel, NOV 28, 2023, 19:55 IST

First five trapped workers come out of the tunnel. Rescue operation continues in the Silkyara tunnel. 41 ambulances have been lined up outside the tunnel for all the trapped workers.

Will take 3-4 hours to evacuate workers from Silkyara tunnel: NDMA official, Nov 28, 2023 18:24 IST

Lt General (Rtd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, mentioned that the process of rescuing workers from the Silkyara tunnel is expected to last 3-4 hours, emphasizing that there is no sense of urgency.

Addressing a press briefing in New Delhi, NDMA Member Syed Ata Hasnain said, “It is estimated that it will take 3-5 minutes to evacuate each of the 41 persons. The entire evacuation is expected to take 3-4 hours from the Silkyara tunnel after the breakthrough is achieved.”

He added that three teams of the NDRF

will enter the tunnel to coordinate the evacuation. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) will offer assistance, and paramedics will also be present inside the tunnel during the evacuation.

Temporary medical facility expanded within the tunnel, Nov 28, 2023 16:26

As part of the ongoing rescue efforts to extract 41 trapped workers, a temporary medical facility has been expanded within the tunnel.

The medical facility has been expanded specifically for the workers who will undergo evacuation. As a precaution, the Health Department has set up eight beds, and a dedicated team of doctors and experts has been deployed. Comprehensive arrangements have been put in place to ensure that the evacuated laborers receive necessary medical attention.

A Chinook helicopter is on standby at the Chinyalisaur airstrip, prepared to airlift the workers once they are rescued from the Silkyara tunnel.

CM Dhami: Pipe laying work completed, evacuation soon, Nov 28, 2023 14:34 IST

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of Uttarakhand announced that the installation of pipes inside the Silkyara tunnel, where the ongoing efforts are in progress to rescue 41 trapped workers, has been successfully completed.

Focus on manual drilling, results expected by evening, Nov 28, 2023 14:14 IST

In the midst of heightened expectations for the swift rescue of trapped laborers in the Silkyara tunnel, Chris Cooper, a micro-tunnelling expert, revealed that the vertical drilling operations have been halted. Instead, the focus has shifted to manual drilling, which is advancing rapidly.

“We are still mining. Everybody is very excited and energetic. Let us see what happens. We have stopped vertical drilling and the focus is on manual drilling,” Chris Cooper said.
“We have got a couple of more metres to go. We are expecting to see some results by 5 pm. 2-3 metres are left,” he added.

Nodal Officer for Silkyara rescue raises hope of early evacuation, Nov 28, 2023 13:44 IST

Neeraj Khairwal, the Nodal Officer for the Silkyara rescue operation and Secretary to the Uttarakhand government, stated during a press briefing on Tuesday that, barring any unforeseen obstacles, rescuers are optimistic about the possibility of promptly evacuating the trapped laborers.

Neeraj Khairwal said, “As of now, we have pushed 55.3 metres of the pipe. This includes clearing of the rubble as well as laying the pipe. Only a little more distance remains. It might be somewhere between 57-59 metres.”
“It might take a few more hours if there are no more hurdles. By evening we are hoping. Let’s pray and hope for the best,” he added.

Mahmood Ahmad, the Managing Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), reported that vertical drilling has reached a depth of 44 meters, halfway towards the required 86 meters. He further mentioned that operations on all fronts are advancing uniformly.

“Vertical drilling is being done by SJVNL; drilling up to 44 metres out of the total 86 metres is complete. THDC executed 7th blast today. So, we gained another 1.5 metres. Work is ongoing, we have not stopped any of our various options,” he said.
“As far as horizontal drilling through the debris is concerned, the one being done inside the tunnel is complete up to 55.3 metres. We are doing this through manual excavation. After that, we do de-mucking. Pipe pushing follows this. Perhaps we will need 5-6 metres more. We are now pushing in smaller lengthened pipes. We are hoping for good news by late evening,” he added.

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