Indian authorities are exploring five new plans to rescue workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayan region after a week of unsuccessful attempts. Authorities report that the 41 men, who have been stuck in a tunnel on a highway in Uttarakhand since November 12, are safe and are being fed through a tube. The cause of the tunnel collapse has not been determined, but the mountainous area is prone to landslides, earthquakes, and floods. Rescue teams have been digging horizontally through the rubble towards the trapped workers in the 4.5-kilometer-long tunnel until a drilling machine malfunctioned on Friday, and a new one was brought in by air.
Project tunnel manager Bhaskar Khulbe stated on Friday that drilling has been paused and it will take another four to five days "to receive good news." The rescue team is currently considering alternatives, including creating a vertical tunnel with two proposed pathways and introducing a 15-centimeter-wide tube as a lifeline, according to a government document seen by Reuters. R.C.S. Banuar, deputy health official involved in the rescue efforts, mentioned that the trapped workers are receiving vitamin C and medications, including antidepressants. The health ministry has established a health check camp near the site and has kept ten ambulances on standby.
