Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: No one is critical, says CM Dhami after all 41 workers rescued

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse updates: All 41 workers trapped inside Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi have been rescued successfully on Tuesday evening, ending an ordeal that stretched almost 17 days. All workers are currently in the safety tunnel inside the Silkyara tunnel. The workers will be evacuated soon in the Ambulance.

Twelve rat-hole mining experts were involved in the horizontal excavation through the last 10 or 12-metre stretch of debris of the collapsed portion of the under-construction tunnel. This drilling was earlier carried out by a huge auger machine that got stuck in the rubble on Friday at around 47 metres.

LIVE updates:

9:50 am: A skilled team of workers is doing muck removal by hand using the rat hole mining technique while the 800-mm diameter pipe is being inserted by the auger machine through the rubble.

10:00 am: First visuals of manual drilling ongoing inside the rescue tunnel:

10:30 am: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, "All engineers, experts and others are working with all their strength. As of now, pipe has gone 52 metres in. The manner in which the work is ongoing, we hope that there will be a breakthrough very soon. As soon as the pipe goes through, the process of bringing out them (workers) will begin. Everyone is fine..."

11:10 am: Work is being done on several fronts as part of the continuing rescue mission at the Silkyara site. The plan calls for both vertical and manual drilling operations to proceed at a nearly equal speed in order to free the 41 trapped workers from the tunnel.

11:45 am:  Roads near the Silkyara tunnel site are being repaired to make it easier for ambulances to take the 41 stranded workers to the hospital for medical attention after they are freed.

12:20 pm: With only five meters remaining to make progress in breaking through the debris of the Silkyara tunnel, plans were made on Tuesday to send the stranded labourers to a hospital for emergency medical attention after they were rescued.

12:50 pm: International Tunneling Expert, Arnold Dix joins a priest in praying for the safe evacuation of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel.

1:20 pm: “Family members and relatives of the 41 trapped labourers have been asked to be prepared and keep the clothes and bags of the workers ready as the ongoing rescue effort raises hopes of an early evacuation,” as per official sources. 

1:55 pm: “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," said the Managing Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Mahmood Ahmad. 

2:20 pm: Several ambulances enter the Silkyara tunnel. NDRF, SDRF and several other agencies continue to be on the spot.

2: 45 pm: Rescue crews in Uttarakhand Silkyara's tunnel were greatly relieved when they managed to breach the 60-metre section of debris where 41 workers have been stuck from November 12, 2023.

2.50 pm: Pipe-laying completed, workers to be evacuated soon, says Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

3.15 pm: The 41 workers who are awaiting rescue will be brought to Community Health Center Chinyalisaur for medical treatment after they walk out of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi

4.00 pm: Medical staff arrives at Silkyara tunnel as rescue operation reaches its final phase.

4.05 pm: Operation intensifies to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel

4.30 pm: Lieutenant General (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, Member, NDMA, says, "We are near a breakthrough but not yet there. Manual work has carried on and we have reached 58 metres. The debris had been cut and the work was going on the entire night. Our rat miners, experts and Army engineers have been able to take it to 58 metres and the pipe has been pushed with the help of the auger machine..."

4.32 pm: "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," Hasnain added. 

6.00 pm: Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), Member, NDMA, says "According to me, it will take the entire night to complete this operation..."

7.40 pm: "There has been a great success in the ongoing rescue operation in the Silkyara Tunnel, the work of pipe pushing has been done across the debris. Now preparations have been started to evacuate the workers safely," tweets Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami

8:00 pm: The first worker among the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12, has been successfully rescued.

08:05 pm: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami meets the workers who have been rescued from inside the Silkyara tunnel

08: 06 pm: Seven workers have been taken out, and the rest of them will be rescued soon, says rescue team member

08:35 pm: 33 among the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12 have been successfully rescued.

08: 36 pm: All 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12, have been successfully rescued.

08: 40 pm: All workers are currently in the safety tunnel inside the Silkyara tunnel. The workers will be evacuated soon in the Ambulance.

08: 45 pm: CM Dhami oversees as workers who were rescued from the Silkyara tunnel are being taken to hospital in ambulances.

 

08:55 pm: PM Modi tweeted after all 41 workers were successfully rescued, saying, "Everyone involved in this mission has set an amazing example of humanity and teamwork."

 

09:15 pm: PM Modi called Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and gave his best wishes on the safe evacuation of 41 workers from Silkyara. During this, the PM took information from the Chief Minister about the workers: Uttarakhand CMO

09: 18 pm: CM Dhami says, "They(workers) all have come out from a different environment and condition so we will do as per the advice of the doctors...first they will be kept under medical supervision, their monitoring will be done...no one is critical."