Blue drums, unlikely rescue rafts: How rescuers hunt for trapped Uttarakhand workers

The death toll stands at eight. Twelve people are admitted to hospitals while two people remain missing.

“Twelve workers saw the water rising and managed to escape. Others got trapped. Bodies of eight trapped people have been found while two workers are still missing.”

The NDRF, the SDRF, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Army, the Central Industrial Security Force and the Uttarakhand Police are part of the rescue operations. Underwater cameras and dog squads are also being used.

According to officials, at the time of the incident, workers deployed by the principal executing agency — Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) — were concreting the tunnel lining.

Officials say the heavy rain and the water and debris in the tunnel have made the rescue challenging. “Water and debris have entered the tunnel. Cement, metallic equipment and heavy machines are submerged in the mud,” one rescuer said. “Our feet keep getting caught. Also, since heavy machinery is trapped under the debris, it could potentially hurt rescuers, so we have to move carefully.”

Then there is the race against time — seepage from the tunnel roof and walls is causing water levels to rise inside. According to officials, water levels inside the tunnel rose from 2.5 feet on Friday to four feet on Saturday.

For rescuers, this means they cannot use conventional rescue methods such as rafts. “Rafts can get damaged and burst due to obstruction caused by the submerged machines,” one senior official said.

Rescuers then hit upon the solution: improvised rafts made of blue drums that can float easily. For this, the SDRF would assemble four drums to make a raft, then place wooden boards on top for seating.

Each such raft can seat four people. One such raft has also been given to the NDRF.

But the incessant rain and continued seepage remain a challenge. “Water is being drained out continuously from the affected area inside the tunnel,” Uttarakhand SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi told The Indian Express. “There is heavy seepage inside, and the construction company is fixing the problem. Even after draining the water, the search would still be a task because of the size of the area.”

On Saturday, rescuers recovered the body of yet another worker, identified as Devnath from Chhattisgarh. The body was found 400 metres inside the tunnel.

In its statement, THDCIL has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured. Calls and texts to HCC went unanswered.