Food, Medicines Supplied to 40 Workers Stuck in Uttarakhand Tunnel for Over 96 Hours

New Delhi: The rescue operations to rescue 40 construction workers trapped by the debris of a landslide at a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district reached fifth day on Thursday.

The rescue teams are in regular contact with the stranded labourers and they are being supplied food and medicines.

Expert rescue teams from Thailand and Norway have joined the ongoing rescue operation.

An ‘American auger’ machine is anticipated to accelerate the debris-clearing process.  It is being used to excavate a passage through the debris of the collapsed tunnel section to install

800-mm and 900-mm diametre segments of mild steel pipes. The workers will be able to crawl to safety through the pipes.

A fresh landslide delayed the rescue operation.

The under-construction tunnel is part of the ambitious Char Dham project to enhance connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.