Tunnel collapse in India: Driller works on escape route
Around 40 workers have been trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel in northern India for days - and now the rescue work is making progress. According to local media reports, a large drilling machine has already worked its way 25 meters through the rubble and is gradually getting closer to the trapped workers, it was reported on Friday.
The aim is to create an escape route for the workers. In order to reach them, around 30 to 40 meters of rubble still need to be removed, the newspaper "India Today" reported, citing local authorities. The drilling equipment had been flown in from the capital New Delhi.
The workers are being supplied with oxygen, medicine, food and water via existing pipes, it added. They were also in constant contact with those trapped by radio. Some workers complained of headaches and nausea.
The partial collapse of the highway tunnel under construction occurred on Sunday morning after a landslide. The approximately 4.5-kilometer-long highway tunnel is being built near the small town of Uttarkashi in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand - a region with many Hindu temples that attracts pilgrims.
According to the Times of India newspaper, the state's head of government, Pushkar Singh Dhami, said that the boring machine now being used can reach five to ten meters per hour.
- Despite the progress made by the driller, with the drill already penetrating 25 meters into the tunnel rubble, emergency situations such as accidents or further tunnel collapse remain a potential threat.
- Authorities are closely monitoring the construction site, aware of the importance of preventing any accidents related to the drilling operations, to ensure the safety of the rescue team and the trapped workers.
- Emergency services and traffic management teams are on high alert, prepared to manage any accidents on the nearby roads or divert traffic through alternative routes in case of tunnel collapse or other emergencies during the rescue operation.
Source: www.dpa.com
