Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Workers may be rescued in few hours or by tomorrow, says NDMA

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Thursday said there could be a “success” in bringing out 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in the next few hours or by Friday. The authorities have stepped up efforts to the ongoing rescue operations in order to save the lives of 41 workers trapped inside the tunnel. Briefing media about the ongoing rescue operations, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, also added that it would not be fair to speculate on the timeline for rescue operations as it is just like fighting a war. He also said that rescue work had stopped and is likely to start again shortly. The NDMA member also said that the horizontal drilling to rescue workers may face 3-4 more hurdles. He further said that 41 ambulances, one each for trapped workers, are in place at the tunnel site, and facilities are in place to airlift workers in serious condition. The men have been trapped for 11 days after a portion of the under-construction tunnel on the Uttarakhand Char Dham route collapsed, cutting off its exit. Rescue operations to evacuate the workers resumed on Thursday morning after an overnight hurdle delayed the drilling by several hours. The labourers got trapped as portions of the Silkyara-Dandalgaon under-construction tunnel on the Brahmkhal-Yamunotri highway collapsed following a landslide at around 5.30 am on the day of Diwali. In this secured portion of the tunnel, electricity and water supply are operational, and provisions, including food and medicines, are being delivered through a dedicated 4-inch compressor pipeline. Various government agencies have been mobilised, each assigned specific tasks to ensure the safe evacuation of the workers. The government maintains constant communication to boost the morale of those trapped. With inputs from PTI.