Frantic op on to rescue 40 stuck after tunnel collapse

Rescuers on Monday mounted urgent but cautious efforts to reach 40 men trapped inside an under-construction tunnel for two days, the latest in a series of incidents that have underscored the dangers of burrowing into the fragile Himalayas.

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The workers were trapped at 5.30am on Sunday while they attempted to complete the final 400m stretch of the 4.5-km long tunnel on the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi when it collapsed partially, trapping them inside.

Rescuers managed to establish contact with the 40 workers via walkie-talkie sets and pumped in oxygen and food through pipes laid down to supply water for construction.

While they are not in any immediate danger since air expected to last the 5-6 days, officials fear rain could hamper rescue by creating more debris.

Abhishek Ruhela, the district magistrate of Uttarkashi, said debris has been removed from around 21 metres of the tunnel.

"But loose rock material falling again in the cleared stretch is creating challenges. So, side by side, the tunnel walls are being stabilised through shotcreting (a method of applying concrete projected at high velocity primarily on to a vertical or overhead surface)".

The workers are trapped in a roughly two kilometre-long segment, almost 40m from the closest point of access for rescuers.