The 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for more than a week finally got a hot meal Tuesday, provided through newly installed steel pipes, as rescuers worked on an alternative plan to dig toward them vertically.
The food, made of rice and lentils, was sent through a 6-inch pipe pushed through the rubble late Monday, said Deepa Gaur, a government spokeswoman.
For the last nine days, the workers survived on dry food delivered through narrower pipes. Oxygen is being supplied to them through a separate pipe.
Officials on Tuesday released video, after cameras were pushed through pipes, showing workers in their construction hats moving around the blocked tunnel while communicating with rescuers on the ground via walkie-talkies.
A worker trapped inside a tunnel under construction is shown on Nov. 21, 2023 in Uttarakhand state, India. Department of Information and Pu/AFP via Getty Images
Their families grew worried and frustrated as the rescue operation dragged on.
The tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand state, a mountainous region that has proved a challenge for damaged drilling machines as rescuers try to dig horizontally towards trapped workers.
The machine’s high-intensity vibrations also caused more debris to fall, prompting officials to temporarily suspend rescue efforts.
A group of workers trapped inside a tunnel under construction, days after it collapsed, is shown on November 21, 2023 in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Department of Information and Pu/AFP via Getty Images
Rescuers are currently creating an access road to the top of the hill from where they will dig vertically.
From the vertical direction, drilling into the tunnel will take several days and debris could fall during excavation, officials said Monday.
Rescuers had to dig 338 feet down to reach the trapped workers – nearly double the distance.
Security personnel and others are seen near the entrance to the site of a road tunnel under construction that collapsed in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, India, on November 16, 2023. AP
Authorities said they will also continue to dig horizontally from the mouth of the tunnel towards the laborers.
Workers have been trapped since Nov. 12, when a landslide caused part of the 2.8-mile tunnel they were building to collapse about 650 feet from the entrance.
Uttarakhand is filled with Hindu temples, and construction of highways and buildings is constantly underway to accommodate the influx of pilgrims and tourists.
Rescue workers are seen at a tunnel site in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand state, India. State Disaster Response Team (S/AFP via Getty Images
The tunnel is part of the Chardham all-weather road, a major federal project connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.
About 200 disaster relief personnel were at the site using drilling equipment and excavators in the rescue operation.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
