'Breakthrough’ expected in rescue of 41 trapped workers inside Indian tunnel

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – Authorities in Himalayan India are expecting a “breakthrough” in efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped in a caved-in tunnel for over two weeks, now seen as being just meters away from possible salvation.

"Almost 52 meters (171 feet) has been done (pipe inserted). It is expected that there will be a breakthrough around 57 meters (187 feet),” Pushkar Singh Dhami, the top elected official in the state of Uttarakhand, told reporters at the incident site on Tuesday.

A massive operation was launched in the state's Uttarkashi district on Nov. 12 when the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel collapsed, cutting the 41 workers off from the rest of the tunnel, kept alive only through supplies sent through a pipe.

The rescue operation has been marred by multiple glitches, delaying the workers’ rescue. Earlier an estimated 60 meters (197 feet) needed to be cleared to push through a pipe, to reach the trapped workers, according to rescue officials.

The authorities brought in men called “rat miners” who began drilling through the rocks and gravel by hand on Monday evening.

Rat miners drill manually mostly in narrow passages and work mostly in mines.

The Indian government has said timelines of the rescue provided “are subject to change due to technical glitches, the challenging Himalayan terrain, and unforeseen emergencies.”