Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: Mobile phones, board games given to trapped workers to alleviate stress

With the rescue operations at Silkyara tunnel facing hurdles, the authorities here have given mobile phones and board games to the 41 trapped workers to alleviate their stress, an official said on Saturday.

The blades of the augering machine drilling through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel were on Saturday stuck in the debris, forcing officials to consider switching to other options that could drag on the rescue by several weeks more.

"The mobile phones have been given so that the workers can play video games. Board games like ludo and snakes and ladders have also been provided to them," an official said, adding playing cards were not given.

"These games will help them bust their stress," another officer said.

The drilling was at a standstill for almost the entire day Friday, but the extent of the problem was known Saturday when international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix told reporters that the auger machine was “busted”.

Officials are now shifting focus to two alternatives -- manual drilling through the remaining 10-12 metre stretch of the rubble or drilling down around 86 metres from above.

Earlier, the family members of the workers, who have been trapped for 13 days, complained about the rescue work getting delayed.

Sunita, whose brother-in-law Virender is among the 41 workers, said he sounded very stressed and impatient.

The communication between the trapped workers and their relatives has been going on relatively smoothly for the last few days through a six-inch wide pipeline laid to provide food and other essentials to them.