Thai Cave Rescue Experts Help in Evacuation of 40 Workers from Uttarakhand Tunnel  

New Delhi: Help of the Thai firm that saved kids from a flooded cave in 2018 is being taken to rescue the 40 workers stranded in an unfinished tunnel in Uttarakhand. The rescue operation entered its fifth day on Thursday.

The Uttarakhand government’s department of public relations in a statement confirmed that the help of this Thai company was sought.

This Thai company rescued 12 boys from a junior football team and their coach who were stuck in the Tham Luang cave complex for more than two weeks. These young football players and their coach were stranded in the cave complex on June 23, 2018 because of landslide and waterways caused by heavy rains. They were thought to be dead, before two British cave divers navigated a maze of tiny passageways and waterways and discovered them on July 2.

The youngsters and their coach were trapped in a deep chamber four kilometers from the entrance.

Three IAF transport planes airlifted a heavy drilling machine from Delhi to Uttarakhand on Wednesday. The “American auger” machine is being put into service to rescue the 40 stranded workers.

On Wednesday, a group of workers and their family members demonstrated at the entrance of the tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway, alleging “slow” pace of the rescue efforts.