Rescue teams trying to locate 25-35 workers trapped inside Tapovan tunnel

In Uttarakhand, the rescue teams are very close to reaching to the second tunnel which can give an idea about the trapped people. Fighting against all odds, the rescue, and search operation for the 25 to 35 trapped people trapped inside the tunnel continued the whole night at the Tapovan area of Chamoli district. 

AIR Correspondent covering the calamity at ground zero reports that one missing engineer’s body was found yesterday. Till date, 38 bodies have been recovered and around 166 people are still missing. Vertical drilling continued the whole night to reach to another small tunnel which is 13 meter beneath the present tunnel where search operation was going on for the last six days.  

Drilling of 75mm diameter in about 12 m long hole from the present tunnel to silt flushing tunnel is successful. Currently, no water or slush pressure is being observed in the silt flushing tunnel. Drilling of a larger hole is being done since the diameter of bore hole should be 250 to 300mm for cameras to reach properly. mucking from the present tunnel is also in progress.

Meanwhile, an SDRF team has reached the lake that has formed upstream of Raini village, near Tapovan. They found that water is getting discharged from the lake which appears to be around 350 meters long. We will get more information.

On the other hand search operations for missing persons also continues along with Alaknanda river. Teams of Border Road organization are working round the clock to re-establish connectivity at the earliest.