How a massive steel pipe will rescue 40 labourers trapped in Uttarkashi tunnel

On Sunday, a tunnel that was still under construction in the Uttarkashi district collapsed, reminding people of past similar tragedies in Uttarakhand. The authorities have initiated massive rescue operations as 40 labourers are trapped inside. Medical experts say that the labourers, who have been stuck for the past 48 hours, are confronting both physical and physiological challenges. It’s a race against time. Parts of Uttarkashi tunnel collapse A portion of an under-construction tunnel being built between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway caved in on 12 November, according to news agency PTI. The list of the trapped labourers issued by the District Emergency Operation Centre say 15 are from Jharkhand, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five from Orissa, four from Bihar, three from West Bengal, two each from Uttarakhand and Assam, and one from Himachal Pradesh. The tunnel is being constructed in Silkyara by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) as a part of the Char Dham all-weather road project, which intends to shorten the distance between Uttarkashi and Yamunotri town by 26 kilometres. At an estimated cost of Rs 853 crore, it will have a total length of 4,531 metres. It is pertinent to mention here that the same section of the tunnel fell in 2019, but the extent of the collapse was less severe as no workers were trapped, as per TOI. However, it caused a delay in the construction process. The collapse was initially attributed to a landslip in the area, but officials say an investigation is underway to determine the actual cause. According to Hindustan Times, a six-member committee headed by the director of the Uttarakhand Landslip Mitigation and Management Centre has been constituted to investigate the accident.

Uttarakhand govt constitutes a six-member expert committee to investigate the Uttarkashi tunnel accident. pic.twitter.com/kVGmPI1hh6

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 14, 2023

Massive rescue operation underway Coordinated efforts are being made to rescue the trapped labourers. Indian Express quoted Superintendent of Police (Uttarkashi) Arpan Yaduvanshi as saying that as soon as they learned of the disaster, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), in addition to police and local administration staff, jumped into action. He added, “There are 75 police personnel involved in the rescue operations along with 25 fire services personnel, one platoon of PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary), 25 people from the SDRF, 35 from the NDRF and 25 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Our teams are running against time in the chilly weather conditions to ensure that every worker trapped inside the tunnel is evacuated safe.” The report suggests debris within the 13-meter-wide tunnel is being removed using a Poclain machine and two JCBs. Food and oxygen are being delivered to the workers via water pipelines; they have been stranded in a buffer zone but are unharmed. “They have a buffer of around 400 metres to walk and breathe,” a Disaster response official said. [caption id=“attachment_13385762” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Rescue and relief operations underway after a portion of a tunnel under construction between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed, in Uttarkashi district. PTI[/caption] Using walkie-talkies, the rescue workers were able to successfully establish communication with the labourers. They used a piece of paper to establish contact before being able to communicate using radio handsets. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also visited the site and assessed the situation. He spoke with officials about the plan being implemented to safely extract the trapped labourers. He also said that everyone involved in the rescue efforts inside the tunnel under construction will receive all available resources and technical assistance as soon as possible. “The PM has assured of all possible help. NDRF, SDRF, other agencies and experts are working to rescue the 40 stranded persons. We want to assure the families of those stranded that the state government and administration are making every effort to rescue them.” On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had a conversation with the CM to ask about the progress of the rescue operations. [caption id=“attachment_13385802” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviews the ongoing rescue and relief operations after a portion of a tunnel under construction between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed, in Uttarkashi district. PTI[/caption] Dhami told the media that rescue workers are facing difficulties to clear the piled-up material as the debris is still falling. Uttarkashi’s Chief Medical Officer RCS Panwar said a six-bed temporary hospital has been set up near the tunnel and 10 ambulances with medical teams stationed to provide immediate medical care to the trapped workers after their evacuation, according to PTI. A three-person team was dispatched by the Jharkhand government on Monday to help in the rescue efforts.

कल उत्तराखण्ड के उत्तरकाशी जिले में निर्माणाधीन टनल के अचानक धंस जाने से कुल 40 श्रमिकों के टनल में फंसे होने की सूचना मिली, जिसमें कुछ श्रमिक झारखण्ड से भी हैं।
झारखण्ड के श्रमिक भाइयों की मदद के लिए राज्य सरकार का तीन सदस्यीय प्रतिनिधमंडल उत्तराखण्ड भेजा जा रहा है। टनल में…

— Hemant Soren (@HemantSorenJMM) November 13, 2023

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Two options have been selected over the course of the night: Excavation using shotcreting Little progress has been made by rescuers in removing the rocks that fell over a 200-meter area, confining the workers inside the tunnel, according to NDTV. The distance is roughly 40 metres, and rescuers are attempting to make an escape route to the workers who are trapped. The officials say about 21 metres of the slab that was blocking the tunnel has been removed, and the remaining 19 metres need to be cleared. [caption id=“attachment_13385782” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The effort has also included experts from the department of irrigation. PTI[/caption] The team had initially been able to cut through 30 metres of rocks but some soil fell again, so they have been able to clear 21 metres. 40 metres of the collapsed tunnel are being excavated using shotcrete, and efforts to stabilise the loose rubble that is impeding rescue efforts are under way. The process of spraying concrete at a fast speed across a structure is called shotcreting. Using large-diameter MS pipes Rescuers at the under-construction tunnel collapse site on Tuesday initiated the process of inserting large-diameter mild steel pipes through the rubble using an auger machine to rescue the labourers, reported PTI. The pipes will be pushed with the help of Hydraulic Jack to create an escape passage. A platform is being prepared for the auger drilling machine, the officials said, adding that the MS pipes have a diameter of 900 mm. The effort has also included experts from the department of irrigation. It may take two more days to rescue labourers Authorities estimate that the rescue effort may require an additional two days, reported Indian Express. During his visit to the tunnel, Secretary of Disaster Management Ranjit Kumar Sinha stated that the workmen who were trapped might be saved by Wednesday or Tuesday night. The outlet quoted NHIDCL Director Anshu Manish Khalkho as saying, “We are trying out all options to secure their early and safe evacuation. We have a plan A, plan B and plan C ready and are progressing accordingly.” With inputs from agencies