Uttarkashi Tunnel rescue operation nears completion; workers to be rescued soon

Guwahati, Nov 28: In a major breakthrough after almost 16 days of efforts, the rescuers managed to reach the trapped workers inside the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

According to reports, the rescuers are at the last stage of the rescue operation, as all that remains is pulling the men safely out through rescue pipes, which could only take a couple of hours.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel will crawl to the other side of the tunnel, brief the trapped workers about the final operation, and pull them out one by one using stretchers fitted with wheels.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is constantly monitoring the well-being of the families of two workers hailing from Kokrajhar district.

It may be mentioned that on November 12, a collapse occurred in an under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot due to a muck falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel, following which 41 labourers were trapped.

Rescue teams had been working tirelessly to reach out to the workers and establish contact with them. Multiple agencies are working on the rescue efforts with the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).