Shillong, November 21: In a significant development, the first visuals of the 41 workers stranded inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi were revealed on Tuesday morning.
India Today reported that the rescue operation took a positive turn on Monday as rescuers successfully maneuvered a six-inch-wide pipeline through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel. This breakthrough not only facilitated the delivery of larger quantities of food to the trapped workers but also provided live visuals of their situation after eight days of confinement.
An endoscopic camera, dispatched through the alternative 6-inch food pipeline, played a crucial role in capturing these visuals. The camera is serving the dual purpose of counting the trapped workers and gaining insights into the internal geography of the tunnel. In the video footage, workers, identifiable by their yellow and white helmets, were observed receiving food items sent through the pipeline, engaging in conversations, and maintaining contact with one another.
Earlier assurances from National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Director Anshu Manish Khalkho about inserting cameras through the pipeline to monitor the workers’ well-being came to fruition. This breakthrough brought immense relief to the families of the trapped workers, who had endured days of uncertainty.
Yogendra Kisku, the brother of Virendra Kisku from Bihar’s Banka, expressed gratitude for the positive turn of events. He mentioned that Nitin Gadkari ji had assured them of completing the rescue in two-and-a-half days. Initially faced with diminishing hope, the emergence of images of the workers has strengthened their resolve. Despite the challenges that prevented them from celebrating Diwali and Chhath, the news has injected renewed optimism into their hearts.
