Rescuers in India have started drilling vertically from the top of a mountain in an effort to save 41 workers who have been trapped in a highway tunnel in the Himalayas for two weeks, according to government officials.
The workers, who are from some of India’s poorest states, have been stuck in the 4.5-kilometer tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in on Nov. 12. Rescue authorities have confirmed that they have access to light, oxygen, food, water, and medicines, and are safe.
However, the rescue operation will take longer than expected after the drilling machine was damaged, resulting in the need for manual drilling.
Initially, the plan was to push a large enough pipe through to pull the workers out on wheeled stretchers. However, the drilling had to be suspended after the platform supporting the machine was damaged. Work resumed on Friday evening, only to be suspended again due to a new obstacle.
Officials said that the vertical drilling, which began on Sunday, will take approximately 100 hours to complete.
The workers inside the tunnel have been receiving cooked food through a lifeline pipe, ensuring a steady supply of essential goods. More than a dozen doctors, including psychiatrists, are at the site, monitoring the workers’ health and providing support. The closed tunnel is keeping the workers warm, and they have been advised to do light exercises, walk around, and talk to each other to pass the time.
Authorities also sent in two mobile phones, memory cards with Hindi films, and electronic games to provide the workers with entertainment.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for one of India’s opposition parties has demanded an investigation into the accident and urged the government to ensure the safety of the workers. A member of a panel of experts investigating the disaster revealed that the tunnel does not have an emergency exit and was built through a geological fault.
(Writing by Mayank Bhardwaj; Editing by Nick Macfie)
