A specialty drill arrived Thursday to help rescue dozens of workers that have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in India. Photo by Abhyudaya Kotnala/EPA-EFE
A specialty drilling machine flown into the mountainous region of Uttarakhand is now being used to drill through a collapsed tunnel to rescue dozens of trapped construction workers on Thursday but results are likely still days away.
The drilling machine was brought in from Delhi on Wednesday as rescuers plan to open a passage large enough for a pipe to be inserted, allowing the 40 workers to crawl out to safety. Advertisement
Atul Karwal, the chief of India’s National Disaster Relief Force, said the the drill being used can cut through 230 feet of rock over 12 to 15 hours. The machine works at a speed of roughly 16 feet per hour.
“The American Augur machine is at work and as per the last update, the first length of the pipe has been inserted through the ruble and they are welding the second section,” he said.
Federal minister V.K. Singh said on Thursday told said it may be another two to three days before some 40 workers emerge from the tunnel.
Authorities told the BBC they did not want to speculate how long it would take to clear the debris after a previous drill failed to complete the task and more falling debris further hampered rescue efforts, but said they expected “a positive development” by Thursday evening. Advertisement
The migrant construction workers have been trapped more than 650 feet inside the tunnels since Sunday and it was reported that some trapped inside have started to become ill, exhibiting symptoms including dizziness, fever and vomiting.
Deepak Patil, who is leading the relief and rescue work, however, told the BBC that sufficient oxygen was being sent into the tunnel and the workers wouldn’t experience “any problems in terms of breathing.”
