National Desk, 25th November: The Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation faced a major setback on Friday evening when the American-auger drilling machine struck a metal girder, causing a halt in the mission to save 41 trapped workers. Currently, the operation is on hold as officials consider the feasibility of vertical drilling.
A decision in this matter is expected shortly, and concerned government agencies are gearing up for vertical drilling. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has prepared the access route to the vertical drilling site, and supplies for platform reinforcement are expected to be transported soon.
The setback occurred on Friday evening, shortly after drilling resumed following a prolonged technical glitch. The auger machine was retracted after striking a metal girder, leading to a temporary halt in the rescue operations.
Officials have expressed their belief that using the American-auger machine for the rescue mission is ‘very difficult’. Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Pushkar Singh Dhami, inspected the Silkyara tunnel site on Friday and announced that the rescue operation is in its ‘final stage’.
He further assured that both central and state government agencies are collaborating to rescue the 41 men trapped inside.
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