Uttarakhand tunnel collapse : Vertical drilling underway, 86 metres left to rescue 41 workers

The vertical drilling to rescue the 41 trapped workers in the collapsed section of the Uttarkashi tunnel is currently underway, with the agencies exploring multiple plans on the 16th day of the operations.

The vertical drilling of the hill in Silkyara commenced on Sunday afternoon, with around 110 meters of the hill to be dug out for the rescue of the trapped workers. In a fast-paced operation, the machine has already drilled 20 meters of the hill, with around 86 meters still left.

The vertical drilling machine was brought in after the American auger was unsuccessful in the horizontal drilling of the tunnel, and eventually got stuck in the metal grinder in the middle of the operation. Here are the top points from the rescue mission.

In the first 12 hours of the rescue mission, the vertical drilling machine has already drilled 20 meters into the ground, making the operation fast-paced.

The vertical drilling machine is making fast progress from the top of the hill, while the plasma machine flown in from Hyderabad is cutting out the auger machine from the pipe on the side of the tunnel.

The trapped men are being provided fresh cooked food, water and medical supplies through a small 6-inch tunnel inserted into the rubble.

The 41 trapped workers, once the vertical drilling is complete, will be airlifted out of the collapsed tunnel using a chopper and a harness rope.

It is expected that the rescue operations will take another 24 hours, with the final phase of the mission currently in motion.