Race against time: tunnel drama keeps India on tenterhooks
The voices of the 41 trapped people are getting weaker and weaker. Outside, in front of the partially collapsed highway tunnel in India, their desperate families are waiting and clinging to any glimmer of hope. Rescuers have been trying for days to free the men from their prison under the mountain.
"Take our house and land if necessary, but please bring our son back safely," the family of 22-year-old worker Pushkar Singh Airi told the media group "India Today".
The rescuers are at least in contact with the men. They also get oxygen, water and food - but only through a very narrow pipe. Indian media reported that dried fruit and popcorn were able to pass through. The trapped workers are also being supplied with medication. Among other things, they are now suffering from headaches, constipation and claustrophobia, according to reports.
Trapped behind dozens of meters of rubble
Construction work on a 4.5-kilometer-long freeway tunnel was in full swing when it partially collapsed on 12 November following a landslide. The site of the accident is near the small town of Uttarkashi in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand - a region with many Hindu temples that attracts pilgrims. The tunnel was intended to improve the connections there.
The workers are trapped behind dozens of meters of rubble. Initially, the authorities held out the prospect of a quick rescue. But attempts with various machines failed again and again. The rubble is hard, the terrain unsafe. On Friday, work with a drilling rig was stopped after a crack was clearly heard opening up inside the mountain.
The helpers are now trying to drill from three sides. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that it was imperative to keep up the morale of the men. But how much longer they will have to hold out in the confined space is currently completely unclear. At the weekend, the authorities announced that they would provide accommodation, food and medical care for the waiting families, as reported by the local news agency ANI. Several politicians and representatives of the authorities have already visited the site of the accident.
Memories of Thailand's cave drama
The Indian tunnel drama brings back memories of the daring rescue of a youth soccer team from a suddenly flooded cave in Thailand five years ago. Media from all over the world reported for days on the spectacular and highly risky rescue operation in the Tham Luang cave. In the end, the trapped people were brought out into the open by specialist divers from Great Britain and Australia, among other countries.
The Indian government has now contacted experts who were involved in this successful rescue mission - in the hope that there will also be a happy ending for the prisoners in the tunnel. Experts from Norway have also been contacted. The good news is: There is still hope. Anurag Jain from the Ministry of Transport was convinced: "It will take some time, but we will eventually get them out."
The tunnel collapse in New Delhi's outskirts has led to traffic chaos, with several roads closed for safety reasons due to the accident site.
Due to the ongoing tunnel rescue operation in Uttarakhand, there have been calls for enhanced safety measures in future infrastructure projects to prevent similar accidents, particularly in areas prone to landslides.
Source: www.dpa.com
