Rescuers trying to free 41 workers trapped in a tunnel for nine days in India are preparing this Monday to drill a new well, after another operation was suspended due to fears of a new collapse.
Excavators have been removing debris and earth since Nov. 12, when part of a tunnel under construction collapsed in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
Join the El Sol de México channel on WhatsApp so you don’t miss the most important information
The engineers tried to insert a metal cylinder between the rubble, wide enough to evacuate the workers, but a creak raised fears of another collapse, so they aborted this first attempt.
The teams are now preparing to drill a vertical hole from the top of the hill where the tunnel is and they need it to be 89 meters deep to reach the workers.
The rescuers communicate with the workers using radios and were able to send them water, food, oxygen and medicine through a 15-centimeter diameter tube.
“All possible efforts are being made,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami declared on Monday, insisting that the “workers trapped in the tunnel are safe.”
➡️ Subscribe to our Newsletter and receive the most relevant notes in your email
Experts warn of the impact of excessive construction development in Uttarakhand, where large areas of the state are prone to landslides.