41 Indian workers to be rescued from collapsed tunnel

Reuters reported that today, November 28, rescue forces successfully drilled through a layer of soil, rock, and concrete about 60 meters thick to reach the area where 41 workers were trapped in a collapsed tunnel through a mountain in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand state, northern India.

Although the drilling is complete, rescuers will now have to find a way to pass a large pipe through the escape shaft to get the workers out safely.

Kirti Panwar, a local official, is optimistic that the workers will soon be reunited with their families. "We are in the final stages," he said.

Mahi Shah, the brother-in-law of a trapped worker, said rescuers had entered the tunnel. "Forty-one ambulances were waiting when people were brought out. We were told that everyone would be rescued in about an hour," he said.

Indrajeet Kumar, a relative of a worker, also said: "They are not out yet, but we have been told to be prepared to accompany their relatives when they are rescued."

Local television today showed images of joy at the scene of the rescue, with workers smiling and singing.

The collapse occurred early on the morning of November 12 as a group of workers were building a tunnel through a mountain. The accident trapped 41 workers when dirt, rocks, and concrete blocked the tunnel's only entrance.

Rescuers had to mobilize heavy machinery and apply different methods to rescue the workers as quickly as possible. Yesterday, November 27, when the rescue team was only a few meters away from the workers' location, the drilling machine suddenly broke down, forcing them to dig by hand at times.