The first footage of workers trapped inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand emerged on the morning of November 21. The development follows the successful threading of a six-inch-wide pipe through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel, providing a breakthrough to supply more food to the 41 workers who were trapped inside for nine days.
The footage was taken using an endoscopic camera sent through an alternate 6-inch food pipe. In the video, workers in yellow and white helmets can be seen receiving the food sent to them through the pipeline and communicating with each other. Additional 900mm pipes were brought close to the Silkyara tunnel to reach the trapped workers.
According to ANI, breakfast has been prepared for the workers who are trapped in the tunnel for 10 days. The team of chefs informed that daliya and khichdi are also among the options that can be sent to these workers. “Food will be sent to the people trapped inside. For the first time, they are being sent warm food,” Hemant, part of the cooking team, told ANI.
Rescue teams may also send a cell phone with a charger into the tunnel to help these workers connect with their families.
The wife of one of the jailed workers told ANI that the visuals gave her hope. “I couldn’t see my husband in the video…Whenever I see my husband, then only I can say he is safe. But yes, hopes are high that they will be rescued soon. Ummeed jagi he,” she said .
On Nov. 20, workers got a walkie-talkie through the 6-inch pipe to communicate with rescuers. One of the trapped workers was identified as Saba. In the video, the rescue team asked Saba to hold the radio and name each trapped worker. The trapped worker’s voice was not clear, but he appeared healthy in the video.
The arrival of the camera from Delhi late in the evening of November 20 and its subsequent deployment through an alternate pipeline is a significant step in the ongoing rescue effort. The use of the camera allows the authorities to visually assess the conditions inside the collapsed Silkyara tunnel and gather important information for planning the rescue operation.
It is indeed a great relief for the families of the imprisoned workers to receive visuals of their loved ones and to know that they are receiving food through an alternative pipeline. Using cameras to assess worker status is a critical step in planning and executing a safe and effective rescue operation.
More importantly, continued efforts and advances in the rescue mission offer hope for the successful extraction of workers from the collapsed Silkyara tunnel.
