Rescue Efforts for Trapped Workers in India Delayed Due to Broken Drilling Machine

Manual drilling considered for final stretch of operation as alternative plans involve risky vertical drilling. Safety measures in regional construction projects questioned.

Rescue efforts to save 41 construction workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, India, have been delayed due to a broken drilling machine. The workers have been stuck in the tunnel since November 12, following a landslide.
Rescuers are considering switching to manual drilling for the final stretch of the rescue operation. An international expert assisting the rescue team, Arnold Dix, said the machine is irreparable and it is unclear when drilling will resume.
Despite the setbacks, the trapped workers are reportedly in good spirits and have been receiving oxygen, food, and water through a pipe. The workers are mostly migrant laborers from across India.
An alternative plan to reach the trapped workers involves drilling vertically from the top of the hill. However, this approach is considered risky and would require digging nearly double the distance of the horizontal shaft.
The tunnel collapse has raised concerns about the safety measures in place for such construction projects in the region. The tunnel was part of a major infrastructure project by the Indian government, connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.