The American auger drilling machine struck a metal girder on Friday night, posing the “biggest hurdle” to the rescue operation of the 41 trapped workers in the Uttarkashi tunnel. As a result, the drilling ceased, and the project was subsequently postponed. Officials are currently debating the possibility of vertical drilling, and a decision is anticipated shortly.
The government agencies involved in the rescue operation have begun preparing for vertical drilling. The machine to be used for the drilling has been fully installed, and is ready to be mounted.
The road to the vertical drilling location has already been constructed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO), and cargo will shortly be brought to fortify the platform.
Images gathered from the location showed laborers—including women—making their way to the hill’s summit to begin excavating in preparation for vertical drilling. One of them stated that the duty has been assigned to about twenty laborers.
The setback on Friday evening happened soon after the drilling resumed after several hours of technical snag. The auger machine was withdrawn due to hitting the metal girder and the rescue work has since been on hold.
During a Friday review of the Silkyara tunnel site, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami declared that the rescue effort was in its “final stage” and gave the assurance that state and federal government agencies were collaborating to free the 41 men who were trapped.
A “wrong perception” is created when media members assume something about when the rescue effort will be finished, according to NDMA official Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), according to news agency PTI.
