The operation to rescue at least 40 labourers trapped inside the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi entered the seventh day on Saturday. So far, rescue workers have managed to drill through up to 24 metres of rubble in the collapsed tunnel till Friday evening. It may require up to 60 meters (195 feet) to enable the trapped workers’ escape.
In its latest update on the rescue operation, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) said the fifth pipe — being used to prepare an escape passage for the trapped workers — is being positioned.