LIVE: Drilling at Silkyara tunnel on hold again, workers await rescue

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Drilling at the collapsed Silkyara tunnel to evacuate 41 workers trapped inside for 12 days was yet resume Friday evening, a day after it was put on hold following a snag. Officials said in the afternoon that technical issues have been sorted and the drilling was set to resume in a couple of hours. But till evening there was no announcement that the auger machine had begun drilling through the remaining stretch of about 12 metres.

RBI has put penalties totalling Rs 10.34 crore on Citibank, Bank of Baroda, and Indian Overseas Bank for contravention of norms, PTI reports.

Delhi airport will see more than 70 million passenger traffic this fiscal. Terminal 2 at Delhi airport to be converted into international terminal for short term, DIAL's chief Videh Kumar Jaipuriar told PTI. After expansion, the passenger handling capacity of T1 at Delhi airport will increase to 40 mn from current 17 mn, DIAL chief further said.

As the ongoing operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed portion of the Uttarkashi tunnel entered the 13th day, the director ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation), who is present at the site, asserted the labourers will be rescued today. Speaking to media persons, ONGC director Sanjay Bhatt said, " We are hopeful that the rescue operation will be concluded and the workers brought out safely by today. As of now, there is no major hindrance to the operation and everyone is hopeful that the workers will be rescued by this evening."

A chemical tank broke at a chemical factory in Ranipet district. No casualties or injuries have been reported. Fire Brigade officials have successfully controlled the smoke: Ranipet Fire Department Officials

Drilling through the rubble to prepare an escape route for the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel was set to resume on Friday morning, a day after another snag hit the rescue efforts, an official said. Former advisor to the prime minister's office Bhaskar Khulbe said the operation might successfully be completed by Friday evening if everything went well. Citing the data scanned by a ground penetrating radar, there is no metallic obstruction up to five metres beyond the 46 metre point through the rubble.

The Supreme Court on Monday had sought the response of the Centre and Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's office on a plea of the state government accusing him of not granting assent to several bills cleared by the Assembly. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions made by senior advocate K K Venugopal, alleging a delay on the governor's part in granting assent to eight bills. The court will hear the Kerala government's plea Today.

9:39 PM

UP man files police complaint against Mitchell Marsh for putting feet on WC trophy

A leader of an activist group has filed a police complaint against Australian cricketer Mitchell Marsh for putting his feet on the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup trophy, police here said on Friday. The complaint was lodged on Tuesday by Pandit Keshav Dev, the president of the Bhrashtachar Virodhi Sena, at the Delhi Gate Police Station in Aligarh. "A complaint has been received. But so far a case has not been registered and further procedure will follow only after receiving a report from the cyber cell," Superintendent of Police (City) Mrigank Shekhar said.

8:27 PM

Indefinite suspension from RS: SC adjourns for Dec 1 hearing on plea of Raghav Chadha

The Supreme Court on Friday deferred the hearing on a plea of suspended AAP lawmaker Raghav Chadha, who had challenged his indefinite suspension from Rajya Sabha, after it was informed that there was some development on the issue. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra listed the matter for hearing on December 1 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, said that discussions are on in the matter. "As per the court's suggestion, some discussion has taken place and now he (Chadha) may have to appear before the privilege committee. The matter may be taken up on December 1, by then there will be some development," Mehta said.

8:24 PM

Drilling at Silkyara tunnel on hold again, workers await rescue

Drilling at the collapsed Silkyara tunnel to evacuate 41 workers trapped inside for 12 days was yet resume Friday evening, a day after it was put on hold following a snag. Officials said in the afternoon that technical issues have been sorted and the drilling was set to resume in a couple of hours. But till evening there was no announcement that the auger machine had begun drilling through the remaining stretch of about 12 metres.

8:11 PM

13 injured as truck hits van on the Delhi-Agra national highway, 4 critical

As many as 13 persons riding a van were injured here on Friday when the vehicle was hit by a truck on the Delhi-Agra national highway, police said. Four victims are said to be in critical condition, they added. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Trigun Bishen said the passengers of the van were going to Palwal in Haryana from Firozabad for 'tilak', a pre-wedding ceremony. As soon as the van entered the national highway from the service road, it was hit by a truck from behind, the SP said.

7:41 PM

PM Modi to visit Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Saturday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bengaluru-based defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited on Saturday and review the ongoing work at its manufacturing facility, officials said. Modi has been pushing for indigenous production of defence products and has highlighted as to how his government has boosted their manufacturing in India and also their exports.

7:15 PM

Delhi court to consider Rajasthan CM Gehlot's appeal against defamation plea on Dec 7

A Delhi court is likely to consider on December 7 an appeal filed by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot against a defamation complaint by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat has alleged in his complaint that Gehlot, by way of press conferences, media reports and social media posts publicly defamed him by linking him to the Sanjivani scam in the state. Additional Sessions Judge M K Nagpal on Friday fixed the next date, noting that the accused as well as the complainant have filed their written submissions in the matter.

6:52 PM

DMRC's Blue Line to be briefly hit from Saturday night till Sunday morning

The train services on the DMRC's Blue Line will be briefly hit from Saturday night till Sunday morning due to the maintenance work between Karol Bagh and Rajiv Chowk stations, officials said on Friday. The DMRC's Blue Line connects Dwarka Sector-21 to Noida Electronic City/Vaishali.

6:42 PM

Three IEDs planted by Naxalites neutralised in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

Three improvised explosive devices (IEDS) planted by Naxalites were detected and neutralised by security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Friday, police said. Two of the IEDs were planted beneath a blacktop road using the foxhole mechanism, which involves digging a tunnel from the side of the road to place the explosives, an official said. Naxalites had used a similar mechanism to plant explosives in the Dantewada blast in April this year, in which 10 security personnel and a civilian driver were killed, police said.

6:23 PM

Justice D Y Chandrachud calls on President Droupadi Murmu

6:15 PM

Search operation in J-K's Rajouri still underway: Indian Army

The Army on Friday said the search operation in the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri to flush out any hiding terrorists was still underway, a day after two foreign terrorists of proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit including the mastermind behind various attacks were eliminated.

6:06 PM

RBI slaps penalties totalling Rs 10.34 cr on Citibank, BoB, and IOB

RBI has put penalties totalling Rs 10.34 crore on Citibank, Bank of Baroda, and Indian Overseas Bank for contravention of norms, PTI reports.

5:52 PM

Uttarkashi rescue operation in final stage: Uttarakhand CM Dhami

"The rescue operation is in its last stage. PM Modi is taking all the updates about the difficulties that workers might face and discussing the solutions. Both the central and state government agencies are working together for the rescue operation. We hope that soon this operation will be completed and all the workers will come out," CM Dhami said

5:20 PM

Man arrested from Kerala for 'threatening to blow up Mumbai airport'

A Kerala resident was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday for allegedly threatening to blow up the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport if he was not paid 'one million US dollars in Bitcoin', an official said.

5:08 PM

Drilling to resume shortly: NDMA on Silkyara tunnel rescue operations

"By any means", the trapped workers will be rescued as all resources are being used, said NDMA member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain while briefing media on rescue operations.  

4:45 PM

Delhi airport to see more than 70 mn passenger traffic this fiscal

Delhi airport will see more than 70 million passenger traffic this fiscal. Terminal 2 at Delhi airport to be converted into international terminal for short term, DIAL's chief Videh Kumar Jaipuriar told PTI. After expansion, the passenger handling capacity of T1 at Delhi airport will increase to 40 mn from current 17 mn, DIAL chief further said.