One week has passed since rescuers started frantically searching for any survivors of a tunnelling tragedy that occurred last week in India’s Tapovan-Vishnugad Hydroelectric project.
The local administration, disaster relief authorities and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been mounting efforts to reach survivors who have been stuck inside the tunnel for over seven days. However, as of this moment, only four survivors have been found while the rescue mission has been hampered by the difficult terrain and the narrow tunnel measuring 6.75 m in diameter at the stretch where the mishap occurred.
The rescue mission changed approach due to the challenging conditions of the tunnel. The new approach involves breaking the rock surrounding the tunnel near the mud-choked route. This process entails drilling, setting off explosives and using machines like jawans and JCBs to break the hard mass that formed after the mishap.
At present, over 600 personnel from the NDRF and other departments are associated with the ongoing rescue operations. The personnel are joined by locals who have been lending support in various capacities to these operations.
The teams are zigzag their way through the debris as they crawl forward with the help of the light and movement of the rescuers. All visitors in the vicinity have been requested to keep the area free of any audio or visual disturbance so as not to hamper the activities of the rescue teams.
Besides this, the administration has also taken care to provide proper security and medical aid to casualties, survivors and their families. Underprivileged regions in the area are being provided with basic necessities like food, water and medicine on an emergency basis.
As the entire nation remains glued to the rescue operations, it is hoped that the authorities will soon be able to make a successful rescue before the situation turns even more dire.