‘Some big news expected in the next 24 hours’

Forty-one Indian workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel were seen alive on camera for the first time on November 21. Pic/PTI

Over 265 hours after the 41 workers were trapped after a tunnel collapsed at Slikyara in Uttarkashi, rescue operations continue. Officials supervising the rescue operation believe they are close to making a critical breakthrough.

Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed said on Wednesday that some big news is expected in the next 24 hours as an additional 880-millimeter pipe has also been pushed 21 metres through the rubble to free 41 workers. The official said since Tuesday night they have pushed three more pipes, reaching 40-50 metres through horizontal drilling inside the tunnel.

At a press conference with the former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office Bhaskar Khulbe held at the mouth of the tunnel, Ahmad said, "An additional 800 mm pipe has also been pushed 21 metres inside the tunnel".

The official said that around 12.45 am "we started drilling through the auger machine" and so far, "we have pushed through three more pipes..."

He added: "If there are no obstacles, some big news may be received tonight or tomorrow. An iron rod has also come along with the debris. It is a matter of happiness that this iron in the middle of laying the pipeline did not create any problems for us..."

265
No. of hours the workers have been trapped

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