Skip to main content

Race to rescue 41 Indian workers trapped inside tunnel is delayed again

A frantic battle to rescue 41 construction workers trapped in a tunnel in northern India has faced fresh delays due to a problem with a drilling machine, with officials warning that the next 24 hours could be critical to their chances of survival.

The workers have been trapped beneath a collapsed road tunnel in the Uttarkashi district of India's Uttarakhand state for 12 days after a portion of it collapsed due to a landslide.

The platform on which the U.S.-made auger machine has been mounted became destabilized after developing cracks, according to the Times of India.

The 25-ton platform is being reinforced with concrete with drilling expected to resume later on Friday.

MORE THAN 30 DEAD, 18 INJURED AFTER BUS PLUNGES INTO GORGE IN INDIA

The machine is being used to drill through the debris in order to create an escape route consisting of a tunnel of pipes welded together. Once it is in place, rescue teams hope the workers can escape to freedom. 

The plan is to wheel the workers out on stretchers through the pipes, according to the BBC.

The auger machine has a drilling capacity of up to 16 feet per hour and is equipped with a 2.9-foot diameter pipe to clear debris. At times, drilling is slowed down by the pile of rubble. 

Rescue teams are required to drill down about 195 feet to reach the trapped workers. They are currently about 30 feet away and in the final phase of the operation.

RAILROAD BRIDGE PLATFORM COLLAPSE LEAVES AT LEAST 26 VICTIMS DEAD, OTHERS INJURED

The construction workers have been trapped since Nov. 12 when a landslide caused a portion of the 2.7-mile Silkyara tunnel they were building to collapse about 500 feet from the entrance. The hilly area is prone to landslide and subsidence.

The workers had been helping to construct a section of a 424-mile road connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites in the area. The mountainous topography has several Hindu temples that attract pilgrims and tourists.

Shortly after the collapse, rescue personnel were able to establish contact with the workers, and they have been able to send them oxygen, food and water.

It is the latest setback in the rescue operation.

The operation was stalled on Wednesday after workers encountered a thick metal rod, which had to be cut using gas cutters, the BBC reported.

Officials commandeered the U.S. machine last week after the initial one they were using was too slow at pushing through the debris.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



from Latest World News on Fox News https://ift.tt/48vy1NE
https://ift.tt/rseN3PW

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frenzy of tiger sharks feast on whale carcass off Australian coast

Drone footage captured by rangers shows dozens of tiger sharks feeding on the carcass of a humpback whale off the Australian coast .  The feasting involved some 50 tiger sharks scavenging a humpback whale that died of natural causes and was floating adrift in the Great Sandy Marine Park off Hervey Bay, which is about 180 miles north of Brisbane.  MONTANA MAN SENTENCED TO OVER 3 YEARS FOR TRAFFICKING EAGLE FEATHERS, PARTS The frenzy, captured on video by marine park rangers Sunday afternoon, prompted a warning from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science , reminding people to keep their distance from stranded or deceased marine animals.  "Where there are dead whales, there are likely sharks nearby and this vision clearly shows why this is the case," senior ranger Daniel Clifton told Australia’s news.com.au .  "The death of one whale, although sad, creates a life source for many other scavenging animals, including fish, sharks, and other marine like....
Post a Comment
Read more

How to … : An Informational Writing Contest for Teenagers

By The Learning Network via NYT The Learning Network https://ift.tt/YgGr3wN
Post a Comment
Read more

Married pilot snorts cocaine off topless woman in booze-fueled romp before flight: report

A British Airways pilot was suspended and eventually fired after he was reported for drinking and using cocaine the night before a return flight to London. Mike Beaton, a pilot with British Airways, had a night off after a flight to Johannesburg last month that he used to indulge in large amounts of alcohol and snort cocaine off the chest of a topless woman, according to a report from the New York Post. Beaton, a married father of one, according to the report, revealed his night of antics to a fellow crew member before a return flight to London, telling her that he had been a "very naughty boy" during an exchange of text messages. BRITISH AIRWAYS INVESTIGATING REPORTS STEWARDESS IS OFFERING SEXUAL SERVICES BETWEEN FLIGHTS The pilot reportedly told the flight attendant in the text exchange that he had met two local men, a Welsh woman and a "young Spanish bird" at a Johannesburg nightclub the night before, when they engaged in hours of drinking and eventually fou...
Post a Comment
Read more