Nepal Tunnel Rescue: Silkyara Veteran Offers Hope For Trapped Workers

A tunnelling expert involved in the 2023 Silkyara rescue operation has expressed cautious optimism about workers feared trapped inside tunnels affected by the catastrophic glacial collapse and flash floods in Nepal. Colonel Deepak Patil (Retd), a former Corps of Engineers officer and former general manager of the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel project, believes debris from the disaster may have blocked tunnel entrances without necessarily penetrating deep into the structures.

The disaster near Nepal's border with China has reportedly claimed 1,252 lives, while 4,875 people remain missing. Rescue teams are continuing operations amid unstable terrain, heavy debris and difficult weather conditions. Patil, who played a key role in planning and leading the operation that rescued 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023, said conditions inside the affected tunnels would need to be assessed before drawing conclusions about the trapped workers.

According to Patil, a glacial burst can carry large quantities of ice, boulders, moraine, uprooted trees and other debris at high speed. As the surge travels downstream, melting ice can produce a powerful mixture of water and debris. He assessed that heavier material may have entered the tunnel portals but could have accumulated relatively close to the entrances, potentially limiting the extent of flooding deeper inside.

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Patil stressed that his assessment remains provisional because he does not have access to the precise layouts of the affected tunnels. If debris has effectively sealed the portals, he explained, the amount of water entering deeper sections could be significantly lower. Workers located farther inside therefore should not automatically be presumed dead, particularly if parts of the tunnel remain dry and contain breathable air pockets.

The expert identified establishing communication and determining the extent of debris intrusion as immediate priorities for rescuers. He noted that seepage water and emergency supplies stored at underground locations in major tunnelling projects could potentially help workers survive for an extended period, depending on the conditions. Rescue teams could also explore alternative access points from the surface or along other sections of the tunnel alignment.

Depending on geological conditions, Patil suggested that oil-rig equipment could potentially be used to drill a vertical rescue shaft. He stressed that the workers' survival prospects would depend on several factors, including flooding, debris intrusion, access to air and water, their location inside the tunnels, the availability of open spaces or shafts and the stability of the surrounding rock. Patil maintained that a potential rescue window should not be discounted and urged authorities to continue operations with urgency.

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