Rescue operation for 41 Indian workers in tunnel delayed again

Kirti Panwar, a spokeswoman for the Uttarakhand state government, said the drill's base had become unstable as it penetrated the rubble and technicians needed to repair it before rescue operations could continue.

Indian rescue workers outside the tunnel. Photo: AP

Officials had previously hoped to be ready to start evacuating workers yesterday, but the situation was delayed until this afternoon.

“Since the workers trapped on the other side of the rubble are safe and well, we do not need to rush, because if we rush in a situation like this, we can create problems that we cannot imagine,” the Press Trust of India news agency quoted Arnold Dix, an international expert, as saying.

Drilling was also interrupted on the evening of November 22 when the drill struck a metal beam, causing some damage to the drill bit. Officials said that caused a six-hour delay as rescuers had to cut the metal object and clear the obstruction.

Atul Karwal, head of the state-run National Disaster Response Force, said the drill started working again on November 23 before encountering the same problem again.

The workers have been trapped since November 12, when a landslide caused a 4.5-kilometer section of the tunnel under construction to collapse about 200 meters from the entrance. As of the evening of November 23, they had completed nearly 46 meters of drilling and needed to dig up to 12 meters more to create an escape route for the workers.

Rescue teams plan to insert and weld pipes together to help trapped workers crawl out. Panwar said about 46 meters of pipes have been installed so far.

Members of the National Disaster Response Force “will then crawl inside and take the workers out one by one, most likely on wheeled stretchers,” he said.

Hoang Nam (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chien-dich-giai-cuu-41-cong-nhan-an-do-mac-ket-trong-duong-ham-lai-bi-tri-hoan-post273781.html