As the rescue operations in Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel entered the 17th day, horizontal drilling over 50 metres was completed.
Rat-hole miners have manually drilled about three metres. They were brought in after the auger machine got stuck in the debris and had to be removed.
According to micro-tunnelling expert Chris Cooper who is present at the site, only five to six metres of drilling is left to be done. Meanwhile, vertical drilling is also being carried out.
Cooper said, "It went very well last night. We have crossed 50 metres. It's now about 5-6 metres to go. We didn't have any obstacles last night. It is looking very positive."
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