#UttarakhandTunnelCollapse | Auger Drill Machine: How It Works

At least 40 workers have been trapped underground for over 96 hours after the road tunnel they were building in Uttarakhand collapsed. Rescuers have been removing the debris since Sunday morning using a variety of drills and excavators to create an escape tunnel for the workers, who are all alive. Steel pipes are being used to supply oxygen and small food items into the tunnel. Heavy drilling equipment has been flown in from Delhi which can clear nearly 5 metres of debris every hour. The drill is commonly used to form boreholes in rock, soil, and other subsurface materials. It is an effective substitute for jobs that may require hours if done manually. It is usually used to drill holes ranging between 1 metre to 30 metres. The drill has a rotational blade, called auger, which is fixed to a drill stem. Rescuers in Uttarakhand have already set up 3 auger drills and will soon deploy three more.