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Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue: Manual drilling in progress, approaching final 5-6 meters

In the ongoing rescue efforts within the Silkyara tunnel, now in its 17th day, manual drilling is in progress to extricate the trapped workers. Micro tunneling expert Chris Cooper reported on Tuesday morning that 3 meters of manual drilling has been completed, contributing to a total of approximately 50 meters of drilling work so far. Official sources indicate that a remaining 5-6 meters of drilling are required to reach the trapped workers, with a total target of 57 meters from the tunnel’s mouth for laying a pipe.

Providing an update on the recent drilling, Chris Cooper expressed optimism, stating, “It went very well last night. We have crossed 50 meters. It’s now about 5-6 meters to go. We didn’t have any obstacles last night. It is looking very positive.” Earlier, rescuers had completed about 47 meters of drilling using an auger machine until the operation was temporarily halted due to the machine getting stuck in debris, subsequently removed using a plasma cutter. Manual drilling, conducted by rat-hole miners, commenced on Monday night.

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Managing Director Mahmood Ahmad reported that vertical drilling of 36 meters was completed from atop the hill. However, officials, including Neeraj Khairwal, Secretary of the Uttarakhand Government, cautioned against assuming specific timelines for the overall drilling operations. A delegation led by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Pramod Kumar Mishra, reviewed ongoing efforts, with Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Uttarakhand Chief Secretary SS Sandhu inspecting the work inside the tunnel on Monday.

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