Uttarkashi Tunnel incident: 41 ambulances arranged at spot, doctors on standby

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], November 23 (ANI): A total of 41 ambulances have been arranged at the spot of Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel where 41 workers remain trapped, an official said on Thursday.
Mukesh Nautiyal, the Project Manager of Operation 108 Ambulance initiative said that out of 41 ambulances, 31 ambulances are of '108' while the other 10 have been provided by the administration.
"There are 41 ambulances where 31 ambulances are of '108' while the other 10 have been provided by the administration. Out of 31, 7 are ALS, while others are BLS. ALS stands for Advanced Life Support, and BLS is Basic Life Support. 27 ambulances are here, and there are 5 ambulances near the tunnel. All the ambulances are well equipped, it's like a mini emergency," Nautiyal told ANI.
In this regard, Narendra Badoni, District Program Officer of 108 Ambulance said that all the ambulances will be numbered and serious patients will be shifted to 'Advanced Life Support' ambulance.

"We have been given the direction that as the workers will be rescued from the Silkyara tunnel, the ambulances will be numbered, and we will be informed which ambulance will go where. Serious patients will be shifted to ALS, and normal patients will be kept in BLS. ALS is advanced life support with a cardiac monitor, and BLS is basic life support," he said.
Earlier today, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wished for the safety of 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel and urged the Government to provide proper compensation to them.
Inspector-General (IG) of Police Garhwal Range KS Nagnyal, speaking about the ongoing rescue operation of trapped 41 workers at Sikyara tunnel, said on Thursday that the stipulated time of the rescue cannot be decided as it is machinery work.
"The attempt at rescue is in progress and rescue is expected to be carried out very soon. It is machinery work so a stipulated time can't be decided. The rescue work will go on at night as well," said IG.
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Secretary and Nodal Officer for the Silkayara rescue operation Neeraj Khairwal, said on Thursday that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister General VK Singh (Retd) had a conversation with the trapped workers that they are fine.
Former advisor to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe who reached the Silkyara tunnel collapse site on Thursday morning said that the entire steel obstructing the free movement of the pipe inside has now been removed.
According to the state government official, the rescue operation is at the final stage as the trapped workers are likely to be pulled out today.
On November 12 a portion of the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed and debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel trapped 41 labourers inside. The workers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion, which is complete including concrete work that provides safety to the workers. (ANI)