Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue 2023
All the laborers trapped in the Silkyari Tunnel of Uttarakhand since November 12 were successfully rescued. The workers were taken out on wheeled stretchers through a 57 meter steel pipe.
The 'rat-hole' miners involved in the rescue team, working manually, broke up the remaining length of debris and secured a pipe to the tunnel. A group of 12 rat-hole mining experts arrived at the site and began the manual drilling and excavation process to clear the final 10 to 12 meters of debris. After manual drilling, rescue workers inserted a pipe into the tunnel, reaching the breakthrough point at a distance of 57 metres. The workers were evacuated through a path made of welded pipes. A number of professionals were involved in the rescue effort, including tunnel experts Arnold Dix and Chris Cooper.
Complete information about the accident
On 12 November 2023, a portion of the Silkyara–Barkot Tunnel collapsed while under construction in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India. This accident happened at around 5.30 am Indian time and 41 workers got trapped inside the tunnel. Following which the rescue operation was immediately launched, and was led by the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Uttarakhand Police and engineers from Project Shivalik of the Indian Army Corps of Engineers and Border Roads Organisation.
Construction work
The Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel was being constructed by Navyug Engineering Construction Limited (NECL) as part of the Char Dham All Weather Road project. The tunnel was located at the Yamunotri end of National Highway 134, which is planned to connect Dharasu at the southern end to Yamunotri at the northern end. The tunnel is planned to be lengthened by 4.5 kilometers (2.8 mi) and will shorten the route by approximately 20 kilometers (12 mi).
Silkyara-Barkot Tunnel
The Silkyara Tunnel is part of the $1.5bn (£1.19bn) 890km-long flagship Char Dham project, linking major Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas through two-lane roads. This tunnel is on the route connecting Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi district. It is a double lane tunnel and one of the longest tunnels under the Char Dham project. About 2.4 km of the tunnel is under construction from the Silkyara side and 1.75 km from the other side. Once completed the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time by one hour. The tunneling project is being carried out by Hyderabad-based Navyug Engineering Company Limited, which has reportedly handled such projects in the past as well.