Atul Karwal, the Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), stated that the multi-agency rescue operations to safely extract 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakashi will likely be completed by the end of the day. The rescue efforts involve using an auger machine to drill through the debris, with the goal of providing a safe passage for the trapped workers. The operation faced challenges earlier when the auger machine encountered a metal obstruction. However, the NDRF is optimistic about the successful completion of the rescue mission, aiming to send 2-3 pipes of 6 meters inside the tunnel by the end of the day. The trapped workers are located in a 2 km-built portion that includes concrete work to ensure their safety. The rescue teams have been working for the past 12 days to free the workers trapped since the collapse of a portion of the under-construction tunnel on November 12.
