In the Indian village of Silkyara, rescuers have made significant progress in reaching 41 workers who have been trapped for ten days inside a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas, officials said on Wednesday. The men have been stuck in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12, but they are reported to be safe with access to light, oxygen, food, water, and medicines.
The rescue workers have managed to drill through 32 meters (105 feet) of an estimated 60 meters (197 ft) that need to be cleared in order to push through a pipe wide enough for the men to crawl out. According to Deepak Patil, a retired army officer heading the rescue effort, the team is making progress, and hope is in sight for the trapped workers.
On Tuesday, the first images emerged from within the tunnel, showing workers in white and yellow hardhats standing in the confined space and communicating with rescuers. This was made possible after a medical endoscopy camera was pushed through a smaller pipeline, providing authorities with a glimpse of the workers’ condition.
Authorities have not provided any details on what caused the tunnel collapse, but the region is known to be prone to landslides, earthquakes, and floods. The rescue efforts have been slowed by drilling snags in the challenging mountainous terrain.
Saurabh Sharma in Silkyara reported this story. The article was written by Shivam Patel, with editing by Clarence Fernandez.
