Uttarakhand Rescue Mission: All You Need To Know (image-twitter/pushkardhami)

After 17 days of struggle, the 41 constructions workers are finally have been rescued. A successful rescue operation by NDRF and SDRF teams has led to the extraction of the workers who were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari was also at site when the rescue mission was being held.

• On November 12, a landslide at the Silkyara-Dandalgaon tunnel on the Brahmkhal-Yamunotri highway in Uttarakhand resulted in the collapse of the tunnel. 41 men was trapped by debris that stretched for about 60 meters in an enclosed space that measured an estimated 2 km.
• Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister visited the site on November 13 and established communication. Oxygen, dry snacks and water was provided to the trapped workers.
• Initial steps to rescue were taken on November 14 which involved bringing in 800–900-millimeter steel pipes for horizontal digging using an auger machine. However, the rescue strategy had to be dropped as further rubble caused injury to the workers, reports Hindustan Times.
• On November 15, being dissatisfied with the initial drilling machine’s performance, the National Handloom Development Cooperation Limited (NHIDCL) requested a more advance auger machine from Delhi, airlifting to expenditure the rescue process.
• On November 16, a new drilling machine was assembled, and installation began. The operation then surpassed midnight. Meanwhile, the rescuers also found other ways to connect with the workers trapped by inserting wider pipes through which hot food, medicines and other necessities were passed down.
• The next hurdle came on path on November 17, when the high-performance augur machine halted after progressing to about 24 meters. Another high-performance augur machine was flown in from Indore to aid the rescue efforts. But unfortunately, the operation was halted when a significant cracking sound emerged from the tunnel in the evening.
• On Saturday November 18, drilling didn’t resume as the experts felt that vibration created by the diesel-driven 1750 horse power American augur inside the tunnel might cause more debris to collapse, posing a risk to the lives of the rescue personnel. Alternative were considered by the Prime Minister’s office officials and the experts decided to work on five evacuation plans simultaneously, including creating vertical drilling through the top of the tunnel to rescue the trapped.
• Drilling activities remained suspended on November 19, Nitin Gadkari after reviewing the rescue operation saying the boring horizontally with the huge augur machine appeared to be the best bet.
• November 20: Prime Minister spoke to chief minister on phone to assess the rescue mission.
• Rescuers released the first video of the labourer’s trapped on November 21, showing them receiving supplies and communication through the pipeline. Meanwhile, drilling began at the Balkot-end for an alternative tunnel on the Char Dham route. But the experts said that this approach would take more than 40 days.
• Horizontal drilling progressed to about 45 meters on November 22, with around 12 meters debris remaining. But Iron rods obstructed the mission.
• The iron-rod obstruction further delayed the operation for next six hours on November 23. The drilling was stopped as the cracks started appearing in the platform by drilling machine.
• On November 24, the drilling resumed but the operation was halted after being encountering by a hurdle, potentially a metal.
• International tunneling expert Arnold Dix reported the auger machine used for drilling had malfunctioned, prompting consideration of alternative methods like vertical or manual drilling.
• November 26: Rescuers commenced the drilling into the hill needing to penetrate 86 meters. By evening the equipment drilled approximately 19.5 meters.
• A group of 12 rate-home mining specialists arrived at the site on November 27. They initiated the manual drilling and excavation process which further cleared the final 10-12 meters stretch of debris.
• Ray of hope on November 28: Rescue workers broke through the last stretch of rubble at about 7 pm. NDRF and SDRF men entered the tunnel and started bringing the workers on wheel-stretchers one by one.

The rescued workers’ family members and relatives who had reached the site a couple of days after the incident and had been camping there since then, celebrated the moment like Diwali by bursting crackers.