The fate of 41 Indian workers trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel hung in the balance on Monday as rescuers began a “risky” attempt to drill vertically down to try to pull them out.
The labourers have been trapped in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand for more than two weeks after a landslide caused the entrance of the tunnel to collapse and become blocked with a wall of concrete rubble, debris and metal.
The authorities had optimistically promised last week that the rescue was just “hours away”, after they managed to drill through 50 metres of debris, leaving only about 10 to 15 metres left of the blockage.
However, the operation hit multiple roadblocks at the final stages. The vast drilling machine, brought from the US, that had been horizontally penetrating the thick rubble broke down on Friday after it hit a metal obstruction, dealing a blow to hopes that the rescue was imminent.
The authorities said the drill was being fixed and in the meantime, the 200 rescuers were manually drilling and removing the rubble using a pulley system, an arduous and lengthy process.
The national disaster management authority (NDMA) said that work had also begun to drill vertically down into the tunnel cavity where the labourers are trapped. However, it is considered a far riskier process than horizontal drilling. It was earlier deemed “dangerous” by officials as it can cause vibrations in the already fragile Himalayan geology and opens up the possibility of causing more cracks and could lead to more of the tunnel ceiling collapsing.
Geologists warned that vertical drilling was a “big risk” as the heavy vibrations caused by drilling downwards could pose a “huge threat” to the mountains and also destabilise the surrounding terrain where others are living.
NDMA officials confirmed that the vertical drilling had started on Sunday afternoon, telling reporters: “Eighty-six metres of digging is required to reach the trapped workers and make an escape passage. 15 metres have already been drilled.”
The army and the air force have also been drafted in to help. On Monday, Indian authorities said the vertical drilling could be complete by Thursday but also warned it could be “days or weeks” until they reach the men inside if more obstacles emerged.
Arnold Dix, a tunnelling expert brought over from Australia to help with the operation, gave a more conservative timeline. “It may take some time, perhaps up to a month, but I cannot specify the exact timeline. Rushing the process is not advisable. The priority is the safe return of these men, and I am confident they will be home for Christmas,” he said.
Constant contact has been maintained with those inside, first through a small water pipe, through which food and oxygen was also funnelled, and then through a larger six inch supply pipe which was successfully inserted last week, meaning the workers can be given freshly cooked food, fruit and any necessary medicines. Despite the freezing temperatures outside, it is warm inside the tunnel. An endoscopic camera inserted into the tube has also helped monitor the conditions of the trapped men.
Syed Ata Hasnain, an NDMA official, sought to reassure relatives and the public that the trapped labourers continued to be safe despite their prolonged confinement. “All of them have been getting their sustenance, food, medicine,” he said at a press conference. “Medical and psycho-social experts are there and doing their work. All precautions are being taken for the safety of all.”
The tunnel was being built as part of a flagship $1.5bn project by prime minister Narendra Modi, which aims to connect the four main religious pilgrimage sites across Uttarakhand through a vast network of roads and tunnels. The project has faced protest and lawsuits by environmentalists and locals who have warned that cutting through the fragile Himalayan terrain is environmentally damaging and can lead to landslides and subsidence.
