Uttarakhand tunnel collapse LIVE: Drilling at tunnel to evacuate workers halted again
Uttarakhand tunnel collapse Live updates: After more than a week's endeavour to reach the 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, the rescue and relief operation has entered its last stage after rescuers managed to place broad pipes up to a depth of 45 metres through the debris via horizontal drilling. Further drilling is underway.
Digging to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel is in the final stretch(ANI)
On Wednesday night, a senior official expressed his confidence that rescuers would reach workers and
complete the operation today.
The team found steel rods embedded in the debris which caused some hindrance in the drilling
process,
however, the officials said they managed to remove all the pieces of steel and carry out the final
process to insert the last bit of pipeline through the rubble.
Earlier on Wednesday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel entered the tunnel, an
official statement issued by Uttarakhand Chief Minister's Office said.
An ambulance is also deployed inside the tunnel and a team of doctors is also put on stand-by for
health
check-ups of the workers, it said.
Meanwhile, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will undertake a safety audit of all 29
under-construction tunnels across the country to ensure safety and adherence to the highest quality
standards, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on Wednesday.
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Himalayan geology not predictable: Experts on Uttarkashi tunnel rescue timeline
Himalayan geology is not a precise science and many roadblocks have come in the way of the multi-agency, 12-day rescue operation, so far.
The Himalayan geology is not as predictable as people think, experts said on Friday as the Uttarkashi
tunnel rescue operation went on overcoming new hurdles at the last moment. Addressing a press meet over
the ongoing progress of the rescue work, National Highways Authority of India member (admin) Vishal
Chauhan said Himalayan geology is unpredictable and several roadblocks came in the way, despite the best
efforts of all the government and private agencies.
"The maximum tunnelling is going on in Jammu and Kashmir and then in Arunachal Pradesh. The Atal tunnel
is an example of great tunnelling work in Himachal. We are continuously learning our lessons...what
happened in Uttarkashi is an unfortunate thing. Himalayan geology is still not a precise science but
it's improving by the day It's not that we are having an accident every year or once in two years.
I
haven't heard of an accident like this in years. I have travelled all the tunnels of Jammu and Kashmir.
Excellent technology is being used," NDMA member Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) said commenting on
the delay in the rescue work -- as the 41 men trapped in the Silkyara tunnel were expected to be rescued
on Thursday night but the operation hit a snag.
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UKPSC RO/ARO 2023 admit card release date out at psc.uk.gov.in, exam on Dec 17
UKPSC Review Officer/ Assistant Review Officer exam date and admit card release date announced. Admit cards will be available from December 5.
Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) has released the exam date and admit card release date for
the posts of Review Officer/ Assistant Review Officer. The UKPSC Review Officer/ Assistant Review
Officer examination admit card will released on Tuesday, December 5. Candidates who will appear for the
UKPSC RO/ARO examination can download the admit card from the official website at psc.uk.gov.in.
The UKPSC Review Officer/ Assistant Review Officer 2023 examination is scheduled to be held on December
17 in 20 cities of 13 districts.
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RBI penalises ₹10.34 crore on Citibank, Bank of Baroda, Indian Overseas Bank for non-compliance
Indian Overseas Bank was slapped with a ₹1 crore fine for contravention of directions concerning loans and advances
The Reserve Bank on Friday imposed penalties totalling ₹10.34 crore on Citibank, Bank of Baroda, and
Indian Overseas Bank for contravention of various regulatory norms.
The highest penalty of ₹5
crore has been imposed on Citibank NA for non-compliance of norms related to depositor education and
awareness fund scheme, and code of conduct on outsourcing of financial services, the RBI said in a
statement.
A fine of ₹4.34 core was imposed on the state-owned Bank of Baroda for violation of
certain directions related to the creation of a central repository of large common exposures, and
others, another release said.
Chennai-based public sector lender Indian Overseas Bank was slapped with a ₹1 crore fine for
contravention of directions concerning loans and advances.
In all three cases, the Reserve Bank of India said, penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory
compliance and not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into
by the banks with their customers.
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Delhi Traffic Police issues advisory as wedding season begins
To avoid traffic and create ease in travel, Delhi Traffic Police has mentioned a list of places where traffic can be expected.
Ahead of the wedding season in Delhi, the police department has issued a traffic advisory for the
convenience of commuters. As per reports, over four lakh weddings are set to take place in the next few
weeks in the national capital. So, to avoid traffic and create ease in travel, Delhi Traffic Police has
mentioned a list of places where traffic can be expected.
"Traffic Advisory: Due to marriage
season, some roads will experience a heavy volume of traffic. Kindly follow the advisory to avoid any
inconvenience," wrote Delhi Traffic Police in the tweet. They also shared a picture where they mentioned
the names of the roads like Mandir Marg, Palaam Road, Matadin Marg and more where roads can be jammed.
The department also gave a general list of instructions to the public.
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'Was asking Mahi bhai what he does...': Rinku Singh reveals Dhoni's role in sharpening finishing skills
Rinku Singh's consistency at the end of an innings has drawn comparison with what MS Dhoni used to do regularly at his peak.
Rinku Singh showed yet again why he is the perfect candidate to be India's finisher in the T20 World Cup
next year when he pushed India over the line in a record chase against Australia. India chased down a
target of 209, their highest successful chase in a T20I against Australia, to take a 1-0 lead in the
five-match series. While stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan's half-centuries powered
much of the chase, there was still a lot to do when the pair fell and it Rinku's unbeaten 22 off 14 that
took India over the line.
Rinku's consistency at the end of an innings has been commented on
since he did it time and again for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL earlier this year. He has often been
compared to the kind of impact the great MS Dhoni used to have as a finished. Rinku admitted that a
conversation with the former India captain has helped him perform. “I had spoken to Mahi bhai once. I
was asking him what he does in the last over of a match. He was saying that you have to stay as calm as
possible, and try to hit straight. That is what I try to follow, to remain quiet and not react to
anything. That has helped me a lot,” he said on BCCI.tv.
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Pope Francis's comments on the Israel-Hamas conflict ignite fury
Pope Francis in hot water after his take on Israel and Hamas creates tension with Jewish groups.
Pope Francis has sparked criticism from Jewish groups who think he equated Hamas and Israel with
“terrorism” in his comments on the Israeli-Palestinian war.
The pope met with Jewish families
whose relatives were kidnapped by Hamas, and Palestinians whose families were still in Gaza. He said to
a crowd in St. Peter’s Square that he saw the suffering of both sides, saying, “This is what wars do.
But here we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism.”
However, the Vatican
denied that the pope used the word “genocide” to describe the situation, as some Palestinians who met
with him claimed.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said, “I am not aware that he used such a word.”
On Monday 20 November, U.S. officials rejected the accusations of mass genocide by Israel.
“Israel is not trying to wipe the Palestinian people off the map. Israel is not trying to wipe Gaza off
the map. Israel is trying to defend itself against a genocidal terrorist threat,” said White House
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
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‘Caste politics not a healthy sign for a democracy’: Sachin Pilot
On being discussed during BJP's and Congress' Rajasthan poll campaigning, Pilot said that discussions in elections should be based on developmental issues.
Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Friday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on
him and the Gujjar community saying that the BJP resorts to caste or religious politics to create
distractions whenever they stumble or feel they won't get the majority in the elections.
"Whenever BJP feels that they are stumbling and they are not going to get majority and they will
lose, they say things like this to create distractions. But public understands everything...I am
satisfied that we will get good results on 3rd December," he said to news agency ANI.
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