
Rescue work in Uttarakhand tunnel collapse put on hold after loud 'cracking sound' was heard
The Uttarakhand tunnel rescue work hit another roadblock Friday as the drilling operations were put on hold after 2:45 pm following a large cracking sound. A meeting of experts has been called.
The 40 workers have been trapped inside the 4.5-km Silkyara tunnel since Sunday morning when a part of the under-construction structure near Uttarkashi collapsed following a landslide.
"During the execution of the work at around 2:45 pm, a large scale cracking sound was heard by officials and the team working inside the tunnel and created a panic situation in the tunnel as well as to the team working," the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said in a statement.
It said there's a "strong possibility that a further collapse may take place and accordingly pipe pushing activity has been stopped".
The rescuers need to drill up to 60 metres to insert 800 mm and 900 mm diameter pipes with the help of a giant drill machine to create an escape passage for the stranded workers.
"Positioning of the fifth pipe was under progress. It was reported that the machine was not able to push further as it was getting lifted and the bearings of the machine were damaged. It was planned to fix the machine by anchors to avoid uplifting. It was decided and agreed by the special agency executing the work that further pushing of the pipe will be feasible only if the machine is placed with the same inclination as the pipe," the statement said.
Elite rescue teams from Thailand and Norway, including the one that successfully rescued the trapped children from a cave in Thailand in 2018, have joined the rescuers to aid in the ongoing rescue operation.
The round-the-clock rescue work is being helmed by 165 personnel from multiple agencies, including NDRF, SDRF, BRO, and the ITBP.
Top Headlines
-
News
Avoid rhetoric that vitiates environment: Modi urges Yunus during Bangkok meeting
April 04, 2025
-
News
'Heard India will be dropping its tariffs substantially': Donald Trump ahead of announcing reciprocal tariff
April 01, 2025
-
News
Israel Defense Forces says senior Hezbollah official Hassan Ali Mahmoud Bdeir eliminated
April 01, 2025
-
News
Red Cross 'outraged' by deaths of eight medics in Gaza
March 31, 2025
-
News
More than 150 killed, hundreds injured as 6 earthquakes devastate Myanmar, tremors felt in Bangkok
March 28, 2025
-
News
'Now it's our turn': Vladimir Putin accepts Narendra Modi's invitation to visit India
March 27, 2025
-
News
Canada Polls: Khalistani critic Chandra Arya barred from running under Liberal Party's banner over alleged 'India' ties
March 26, 2025
-
News
Oscar-winning Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal attacked, arrested In West Bank, claims co-directors
March 25, 2025
-
News
'I have a very good relationship with India but they're one of the highest tariffing nations': Donald Trump
March 20, 2025
-
News
Donald Trump will back Volodymyr Zelenskyy get more air defence from Europe: White House
March 19, 2025