41 workers trapped on 11th day in collapsed tunnel in India
Rescue workers stand at the entrance to a tunnel where 41 road workers are trapped after part of the tunnel collapsed, in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 16, 2023. Photo: STRINGER/Ritzau ScanpixPhoto: STRINGER/Ritzau Scanpix
Ritzau Ritzau
PublishedModified
Indian rescue workers have drilled two-thirds of the way to 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel. This was announced by officials on Wednesday.
The 41 workers have been trapped in the tunnel in northern India’s Himalayan state of Uttarakhand for 11 days since parts of the tunnel collapsed.
57 meters of downed material is blocking Engineers are trying to get a steel pipe through at least 57 meters of downed material consisting of several tons of soil, cement and rubble.
– I am very happy to announce that 39 meters of drilling has been completed, says Mahmood Ahmad, who is an official in the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
– If there is no blockage, we hope that there will be good news late tonight or tomorrow, the official continues.
Safe and “doing fine” On Tuesday, the first pictures of the 41 men came out. In the pictures, the men can be seen standing in the underground tunnel and communicating with rescue workers.
According to the authorities, the men have access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicine and are safe.
The connection to the outside world is, among other things, secured via a pipe, through which the camera – which is of a type that can also be used for medical examinations – was sent down.
On Tuesday came the first pictures from inside the tunnel, where 41 workers are trapped in the 11th day. Photo: Ritzau/Scanpix
On Tuesday, the first pictures came out of the tunnel. In the pictures, the men can be seen standing in the underground tunnel and communicating with rescue workers.
– Are you all right?, a rescue worker asks one of the trapped tunnel workers in the video.
– Yes, we are doing fine, replies the tunnel worker.
Cause of collapse unknown According to the authorities, the men have access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicine and are safe.
As the camera pans from the tube into the area where the men are, you can see them standing in a semi-circle with work jackets and helmets on, looking at the camera.
Authorities have not said what caused the tunnel to collapse, but landslides, earthquakes and floods are not uncommon in the region.
Excavators have used tons of soil, concrete and rubble to remove the tunnel, which was under construction when it collapsed.
Progressing slowly But efforts to get the 41 men out have progressed only slowly. Among other things, there have been problems with fallen pieces of rock along the way. The drilling was therefore postponed on Friday after problems with the machines and due to fears of another collapse.
Authorities are also working on five other plans to get the men out. One of them is to drill vertically down from the top of the mountain.
Must go for walks and do yoga Abhishek Sharma, who is a psychiatrist sent by the state government, has asked the 41 men, among other things, to take walks in the two-kilometer area in which they are confined. They must also do light yoga and talk to each other frequently to keep themselves employed.
The men trapped in the tunnel are low-income workers. Most of them come from poor states in the north and east of India.
