A Trapped Worker’s Message From the Tunnel: “I Am Fine Maa, Please Eat On Time”

After being imprisoned in the Silkyara tunnel at Uttarkashi for ten days, several of the workers spoke to their relatives for the first time, providing some measure of relief. On Tuesday morning, rescue team authorities made a significant advancement in the continuing Silkyara tunnel collapse when they were able to establish connection with the trapped workers via the 6-inch pipeline.

Speaking to the supervisor at the scene of the collapsed tunnel, one of the imprisoned workers, Jaidev, said in Bangla, “Please record, I will tell something to my Maa.” Maa, koroni aami thik achi koroni. A kheye nebe is time. Kheye nite bolbe babakeo time (Mother, don’t worry about me, I’m OK). Please eat your meals on time, both you and your father.” The supervisor could be heard telling the people who were stuck in the tunnel not to panic, since they will soon be rescued.Since his parents would be hearing the voice recording, the manager asked the employee if he had anything to share with them.

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Even though they had been stuck in the tunnel for ten days, several of the other stranded workers also made touch with their families. They implored them not to worry about them, displaying an extraordinary amount of bravery and patience. Havan Yagya was arranged during the day by Bajrang Dal (Jammu and Kashmir) in order to ensure the safety of the 41 stranded workers.Prior to this, works were being done to get the 6-inch pipeline completely operational, according to Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, who is currently in charge of the continuing rescue operations at the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse site. “The 6-inch lifeline pipeline has been inserted, and work is being done to make it fully functional,” stated Arnold Dix. In addition to drilling the evacuation tunnel, work is being done for its auguring. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish secure areas inside the tunnel. This place is incredibly unsafe. There, too, we are ensuring the safety of the rescuers. Auguring calls for extremely accurate engineering.

He went on to say that the American augur machines were being prepared and were not already in operation. The 41 workers had plenty of room to walk around inside the tunnel, according to the first images taken after rescuers successfully inserted an endoscopic camera earlier today.
The workers who were trapped in the tunnel through the pipeline could clearly hear the rescue team conversing with them. The workers were asked to move in front of the endoscopic flexi camera that was placed through the pipeline by the rescue crew. To ensure that everyone could be identified, a worker removed the camera from the pipeline and held it inside the restricted area.

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The rescue team gathered all 41 of the imprisoned workers close to the camera and requested that they clean the screen. They were instructed to hold back the camera and move away from the pipeline and compressor by the rescue team, who informed them that the pipeline will be cleaned with water and a blower. On November 12, as a tunnel was being built from Silkyara to Barkot, it collapsed, trapping 41 workers because of a mud fall that happened in a 60-meter section on the Silkyara side of the tunnel.

The 2 kilometer long tunnel section where the miners are thought to be trapped has concrete work finished that ensures their safety. Both water and power are available in this section of the tunnel.