41 Indian workers are about to be rescued from a collapsed tunnel.

An ambulance is waiting outside the tunnel entrance (Photo: Reuters).

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

Although the drilling is complete, rescue workers will now have to find a way to thread a large pipe through the escape shaft to bring the workers out to safety.

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

Mahi Shah, the brother-in-law of one of the trapped workers, said rescue teams had entered the tunnel. "Forty-one ambulances were waiting as people were being brought out. We were told that everyone would be rescued within about an hour," he said.

Indrajeet Kumar, a relative of a worker, also said: "They haven't come out yet, but we've been told to prepare ourselves to go with our loved ones when they are rescued."

Local television today broadcast images showing a jubilant scene at the rescue site, with workers smiling and singing.

The situation of the group of 41 people trapped in the tunnel (Graphic: Reuters).

The tunnel collapse occurred in the early morning of November 12th while a group of workers were constructing a tunnel through a mountain. The accident trapped 41 workers as earth, rocks, and concrete blocked the tunnel's only entrance.

Rescue teams had to mobilize heavy machinery and employ various methods to rescue the group of workers as quickly as possible. Yesterday, November 27th, when the rescue team was only a few meters from the workers, the drilling machine suddenly broke down, forcing them to dig by hand at times.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/41-cong-nhan-an-do-sap-duoc-giai-cuu-khoi-duong-ham-bi-sap-20231128164621460.htm