Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarkashi, an endoscopy camera successfully transmitted the first visuals of the trapped workers. Communicating with the rescue team, these visuals showed the workers confirming their well-being, providing a glimmer of hope amid the ongoing rescue operation.
The rescue team has initiated the installation of a pipeline inside the Silkyara Tunnel, establishing communication with individual workers to ascertain their health status.
Another significant development unfolded as rescuers reached the tunnel using a vertical drilling machine from the hill above.
With 41 laborers still trapped inside, the arrival of this drilling machine marked a crucial advancement in the rescue mission, requiring a painstaking 13-hour effort involving three vehicles to transport the machine parts, as recounted by Harbanz, the driver who facilitated this transport.
This recent progress builds on the previous day's success when a six-inch-wide pipeline was maneuvered through the debris, serving as an alternate means to provide essentials to the stranded workers. For the first time post-incident, hot Khichdi was sent through this pipeline, offering sustenance to those trapped within the 2-km segment of the tunnel.
Colonel Deepak Patil, overseeing the rescue operation, outlined the primary challenge of evacuating the trapped men through a 900 mm pipe.
However, immediate provisions of food, mobiles, chargers, and medical supplies through the existing lifeline became a priority.
Addressing the nutritional aspect, Colonel Patil mentioned a list prepared in collaboration with medical professionals to cater to the workers' dietary needs. «We are utilizing bottles with wide mouths to send bananas, apples, Khichdi, and