Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Rescue Op Paused After Loud Cracking Sound

The Uttarakhand rescue operation has been halted after a loud cracking sound at the site. The drilling works were stopped around 2.30 pm, NDTV reported citing officials.

"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.

He claimed that there was a "strong possibility that a further collapse may take place and accordingly pipe pushing activity has been stopped".

A portion of the tunnel, part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed on Sunday. The 30-metre collapsed section is 270 metres from the mouth of the tunnel from the Silkyara side.

Working round-the-clock with a powerful machine, rescue workers have drilled through up to 24 metres of rubble in the Silkyara tunnel till Friday afternoon, inching closer to the 40 labourers trapped inside for five days.

To create an escape passage for the stranded workers, the rescuers must utilize a massive drilling machine to bore up to 60 meters, allowing for the insertion of pipes with diameters of 800 mm and 900 mm.

"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 was 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 900 mm diameter pipe that further pushing of the pipe will be feasible only if the machine is placed with the same inclination as the pipe," the NHIDCL statement said.

The Silkyara Tunnel, also known as the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel, constitutes a crucial segment of the central government's ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project. With an estimated cost of around Rs 12,000 crore, the project is designed to decrease the distance from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri by roughly 25 kilometers.