Rourkela: As the nation anxiously awaits the safe evacuation of 41 workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, special-grade pipes manufactured by Rourkela Steel Plant were airlifted from here to augment the rescue operation, an official said.
Tuesday was the second day that the special grade pipes were airlifted for use at the tunnel collapse site at Uttarkashi, the official said.
A large transport aircraft had made two sorties to airlift pipes Monday, which are likely to be used by an international rescue team working along with NDRF at the site, he said.
Asked the Plant authorities said, “The pipes that are being carried to Uttarakhand are of higher width”.
He did not, however, share any details.
Five of the 41 workers trapped inside the Sylkaria-Barkot under-construction tunnel that collapsed November 12 hail from Odisha.
In a major breakthrough in the ongoing evacuation operation, the rescue team officials successfully communicated with the trapped workers through a newly inserted six-inch pipeline on Tuesday morning.
PTI
