Camera Through Pipe Gets First Visuals Of Workers Stuck In Uttarkashi Tunnel

In a major development, the rescue officials – who had been working non-stop to reach the workers trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand for the last 10 days – managed to capture their images through an endoscopy camera.

The endoscopy camera was sent inside the tunnel through a six-inch pipe that was pushed through the rubble last night to send food items for the workers. 

The rescue officials also spoke to some workers through Walkie Talkies or radio handsets. In the video, the rescue officials are seen asking the workers to come in front of the camera.

“Aap camera ke paas walkie talkie pe aake baat karein (come in front of the camera and talk to us through Walkie Talkie,” an official is heard asking them. 

The rescuers were sent khichdi in glass bottles – their first hot meal in 10 days – through the pipe last night.  Earlier, only dry fruits could be sent in. 

Rescue operation in-charge Colonel Deepak Patil said the workers will also be sent mobiles, and chargers through the pipe. 

Over the past week, repeated attempts to rescue the workers had failed owing to several challenges, including the topography and the nature of rocks in the area.

The 41 workers have been stuck since last Sunday after a portion of the tunnel caved in. Officials said that all workers are safe and are being supplied food and water through steel pipes that have been drilled into the opening.

The under-construction tunnel is part of the ambitious Char Dham project, a national infrastructure initiative to enhance connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.