Indian Workers Still Trapped in Collapsed Tunnel as Rescuers Struggle with Rock Obstacles

Officials said that rescue teams were unable to reach 40 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel on a highway in India on Wednesday, as massive rocks hinder efforts to clear a path for their evacuation. A rescue official told Reuters that three days have passed since the tunnel collapsed, but the workers are still safe and in good health. The trapped men have been receiving food, water, and oxygen through a pipe since Sunday morning, following the tunnel's collapse at 5:30 AM local time. J.S. Naveen, the relief commissioner for Uttar Pradesh, informed Reuters, "A heavy machine is being brought from New Delhi to insert a pipe for their rescue, as the current pipe is blocked by rocks." There were about 50 to 60 men working the night shift in the 4.5-kilometer-long tunnel, which is being excavated in the adjacent state of Uttarakhand along a highway. Local media reported on Tuesday that individuals near the tunnel's exit managed to escape while the 40 who were inside remained trapped. The mountainous area is prone to landslides, earthquakes, and floods, and the incident follows a series of landslide occurrences attributed by geologists, residents, and officials to rapid construction in the mountains.