It could have been an abyss or a chilling reminder of the 2010 Chilean mine crisis that saw 33 miners getting out of the hellhole after 69 days. In a rare rescue mission that spanned nine gruelling days and saw rescuers from every available government department, Mani Ram and Satish Tomar, two workers who were trapped since September 12 in an under-construction tunnel in Himachal Pradesh’s Bilaspur district, were finally pulled out of the tunnel today.
Jubilation was subdued as the third worker, Hriday Ram, remained untraced. A search is on to locate him.
Mani was the first to be brought out, followed by Satish, at 4.09 pm by a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) constable, Ashok Kumar (23).
Hailing from Rajasthan, Ashok entered the tunnel through a 1.2-m diameter 41-m deep hole drilled from the hilltop. “No third person was present inside the tunnel, which has knee-deep water and some machineries stranded in a corner... I searched for Hriday with help of the search light, but could not locate him.”
The workers waved to mediapersons and those carrying out the rescue operation as soon as they were released from the rescue harness amid scenes of euphoria. The relatives of the two workers cheered the rescue teams with a grand applause after the workers emerged from the tunnel. Mani appeared nervous while Satish looked alert as he stepped out.
The entire operation was beamed live on a computer screen put up at the drilling site to guide Ashok inside the tunnel through a hand-driven pulley. Prior to the NDRF constable’s entry, sufficient oxygen was pumped into the tunnel through a tube to ensure the rescue was hazard-free.
Satish and Mani were examined by a team of doctors, who later took them to the Bilaspur Zonal Hospital for further check-up. Even their families were not allowed to meet them initially. “The rescue team has done a tremendous job. It is due to their efforts that both were brought out alive,” said Satish’s brothers Dinesh and Vinod and Mani’s father Moti Ram.
Said Jaideep Singh, an NDRF area commander who monitored the operation: “There was no third person in the tunnel where the two workers were trapped.” Employed with the Himalayan Construction Company, the three were trapped around 8:30 pm (September 12) in Tunnel Number 4 being built for the Kiratpur-Ner Chowk four-lane project. The entrance of the 1.2-km tunnel, which had been dug 275 metres, was blocked with huge boulders and slush when it collapsed 80 metres from the mouth.
The rescue operation was jointly carried out by tunnel experts, including RS Rao from the Border Roads Organisation; Rakesh Sehgal, Arun Dhiman and Ramesh Chauhan from Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd; JS Rathaur, senior geologist; executive director Mukul Sapre and engineers and technicians of the IL and SF company, which provided technical support.
A long wait
Sept 12: A portion of Tunnel No. 4 on Kiratpur-Ner Chowk four-laning project caves in around 8.30 pm; three workers are trapped inside
Sept 13: Bilaspur admn launches rescue op involving the workers of the company executing the tunnel work
Sept 14: BRO experts join op and NDRF team visits site; oxygen is pumped into the tunnel
Sept 15: Experts agree on drilling a hole from the hilltop into the tunnel
Sept 16: 50-m hole drilled by 7 pm; camera and microphone inserted inside confirm two workers are safe
Sept 17: Approach road is constructed to top of tunnel to carry drilling machine
Sept 18: HC seeks status report from the BRO; round-the-clock work continues
Sept 19: Operation nears completion; rescue team says may be over in a day
Sept 20: Drilling work suspended due to a snag in machine
Sept 21: Drilling re-starts and is completed; NDRF worker moves into the tunnel and brings out Mani Ram at 4.09 pm; Satish Tomar is rescued after five minutes
Hriday Ram (53) of Chakkar village of Mandi remains untraced. NDRF officials said Hriday, an expert in tunnelling work, could not be located inside the tunnel.
