As many as 41 workers are trapped in the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand.
Twelve hours after drilling stopped at the Uttarakhand tunnel where 41 workers are trapped, the damaged blades of the American-made auger machine are still being taken out manually. The machine was damaged after it hit a metal girder as drilling resumed last evening.
"The machine is totally busted and has failed us four times, so now no more auger," tunnel expert Arnold Dix told reporters from the site.
"Now we are working to clear the debris manually since that's the safest bet," a senior officer in charge of operations told NDTV.
Even as machines are being taken to top of the tunnel to start vertical drilling, it won't be easy, according to him. "Our safest bet is still horizontal drilling. We have covered almost 90 per cent and the last bit is now being done manually," he explained.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a plasma cutter machine has been ordered from Hyderabad to cut and retrieve the auger machine from the tunnel.
"The machine got stuck after reaching so close. We are expecting that this machine will come out by Sunday morning and the operation will move forward manually after that. We are working on all options," the Chief Minister added.
Officials working on the ground did not rule out the usage of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology.
"This technology can help us detect if there's anything a few inches away. Sometimes, we miss out on small pieces like it happened on Friday," another senior officer on the ground explained.
GPR is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. It's a non-invasive technique that allows for the detection and mapping of objects and structures beneath the ground. It is used for environmental assessment and civil engineering purposes.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is continuously working to clear the passage in the escape tunnel which is being prepared. "We are prepared and waiting for the last bit to be cleared," a senior NDRF officer disclosed.
Before the operations stopped Friday evening, 46.8 metres of the 800-mm-wide steel pipe was inserted into the drilled passageway in the tunnel, which is about 60 metres long.
"The workers are mentally alert and physically fit. We have also made arrangements for them to speak to their families. We don't want another collapse to take place in hurry," disclosed another officer, adding that the last five metres is proving to be a challenge.
Forty-one ambulances are on standby at the tunnel's entrance so that they can immediately take the workers away to the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre. A designated ward has been set up with 41 oxygen-equipped beds for each worker.