41 workers have been trapped in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas since Nov. 12.
A landline facility has been set up to allow the workers to communicate with their families.
The rescue operations have been delayed due to damage to the heavy drill machinery.
The tunnel was part of the Chardham all-weather road project.
The Uttarakhand government is supplying hot meals and oxygen to the trapped workers through a pipe.
Rescue operations for 41 workers trapped in a highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas have been delayed due to damage to the heavy drill machinery. The workers have been stuck in the 4.5-km tunnel since it caved in on Nov. 12. The tunnel, which did not have an emergency exit, was built through a geological fault. The rescue plan involves pushing a pipe wide enough to pull the trapped workers out.
The tunnel was part of the Chardham all-weather road project, which some experts say will exacerbate fragile conditions in the upper Himalayas. The workers had been helping to construct a section of a 424-mile road connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites in the area. The trapped workers hail from different states and were working in the tunnel in search of a livelihood.
A second plan to drill vertically from atop the hill is also being pursued. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has stated that operations may resume in the next 24 to 36 hours as machines are being placed on a platform on top of the tunnel. An international tunneling expert involved in the rescue operations expressed confidence that the workers will be home by Christmas.
The Uttarakhand government is supplying hot meals and oxygen to the trapped workers through a pipe. A landline facility has been set up to allow the workers to communicate with their families. The rescue operation has faced delays due to a problem with a U.S.-made auger machine, which developed cracks. The machine is being used to drill through the debris to create an escape route. The workers are currently about 30 feet away from the rescue teams.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has stated that operations may resume in the next 24 to 36 hours as machines are being placed on a platform on top of the tunnel.
The trapped workers hail from different states and were working in the tunnel in search of a livelihood.