Officials prepare to drill ‘vertical hole’ to reach workers trapped in collapsed Indian tunnel for eighth day

Pipes have been inserted into tunnel for trapped workers to receive food and oxygen

Officials in India are planning to drill a new “vertical hole” to rescue 40 workers trapped for eight days in a collapsed tunnel in the northern mountainous state of Uttarakhand.

The drilling on Saturday was halted after a snag while breaking through debris in an attempt to insert pipes that the trapped workers could use to crawl to freedom.

Another drilling machine then arrived to continue the drilling, according to reports.

So far, officials have reportedly drilled 24m (79ft) through rubble and debris.

People watch rescue work at the site of an under-construction road tunnel that collapsed in mountainous Uttarakhand state, India, Saturday, 18 Nov 2023.

A heavy machinery works at the the entrance to the site of an under-construction road tunnel that collapsed in mountainous Uttarakhand state, India, Saturday, 18 Nov 2023.

However, it seems drilling for up to 60m (197ft) would be needed to help the workers escape.

The workers have been trapped since 12 November when a landslide led to a portion of a 4.5-km (2.8-mile) tunnel to collapse. They were building the tunnel in a hilly area prone to landslides.

Officials are now mulling the use of another machine to drill from the top of the hill under which the workers are trapped inside the tunnel.

But this method could be time-consuming, taking an extra four or five days, according to Deepa Gaur, a government spokesperson.

The state of Uttarakhand has a large influx of pilgrims and tourists every year and there is constant construction of highways to accommodate them.

An earth-mover makes a vertical drill on the top of a mountain where a tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand state, India, Saturday, 18 Nov 2023. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

People stand near the entrance to the site of an under-construction road tunnel that collapsed in mountainous Uttarakhand state, India, Friday, 17 Nov 2023.

The tunnel under construction is also part of a flagship central government project to connect various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

The men were working on the Char Dham highway – one of the prime minister Narendra Modi government’s ambitious projects to connect four pilgrimage sites in the mountains through 890km (550 miles) of roads at a cost of $1.5bn (£1.2bn).

As part of the ongoing rescue operations, over 200 disaster relief personnel have been at the site with a plan to push wide steel pipes through a section of the excavated debris, which the trapped workers could use to crawl out.

But officials began concerned on Saturday as they hit a snag whose high-intensity vibrations they felt could cause more debris to fall.

They now hope to opt for a specific technique for drilling vertically through overburdened soil that could lead to less debris falling.

However, they say with this way of drilling they would need to dig nearly double the depth compared to digging from the front.

Pipes have also been inserted into the tunnel for trapped workers to receive food like nuts, roasted chickpeas, popcorn, and other essential items as well as a separate pipe for oxygen supply.

Meanwhile, families of the trapped workers are growing weary and more frustrated.

“I am losing my patience. The officials have not even briefed us about the future plans,” Maharaj Singh Negi, whose brother is among the trapped workers, said.