Uttarakhand tunnel collapse; Five agencies for rescue operation, trying to reach pipes to workers

DEHRADUN: Efforts to rescue workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand are ongoing. Forty-one people have been stuck for nine days. Anurag Jain, Transport and Highways Secretary mentioned that multiple agencies will be involved in the rescue mission.

Following experts' advice, a high-level meeting decided to explore different ways to save the trapped people. Five agencies—Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDCL)—have been assigned to the rescue operation. Border Roads Organization (BRO) and the Construction Wing of the Indian Army are also part of the rescue efforts.

Currently, 90 cm diameter pipes are being laid using an auger machine for the rescue operation. It's hoped that by adding five more six-meter long pipes, rescuers will reach the trapped people. Stretchers from the disaster management force have been adapted to transport any weak individuals to the hospital.

Ranjit Sinha, Disaster Management Secretary, highlighted the lifeline pipe in place to deliver essential items. The workers got trapped on the twelfth of this month. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the site yesterday. Gadkari emphasized prioritizing the workers' lives.