Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue: How Banned 'Rat-Hole' Mining Saved Trapped Workers

The long-drawn operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside an Uttarakhand tunnel has seen several failures. Now, a banned mining practice seems to have come to the aid of the trapped workers. In the last leg of the challenging operation, a 25-tonne auger machine failed after which the process of rat-hole mining was started. This method of manual drilling made quick progress and rescuers quickly moved closer to the workers. However, rat-hole mining is a controversial and hazardous procedure. In this method, miners in small groups go down narrow burrows to excavate coal. In rat-hole mining, workers enter the mines and use hand-held tools to dig. It is considered a hazardous job and has caused several tragedies. What is the mining technique and how did it help here?#uttarkashi #uttarakhand #tunnelrescue #uttarkashirescue #uttarakhandtunnelrescue #latestnews #mirrornow