Footage captures 41 workers trapped in tunnel after nine days of rescue attempts
Topics: Health, Mental Health, Social Media, World News
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: ANI
Topics: Health, Mental Health, Social Media, World News
The first footage of the 41 workers who've been stuck in a collapsed tunnel in India's Uttarakhand state for nine days has been released.
On 12 November, a landslide took place in the northern state's Uttarkashi district, causing a tunnel which was under-construction to cave in, with 41 workers still inside.
Earlier today (Tuesday, 21 November) the first video of the workers was released after an endoscopic camera was sent down through a six-inch pipeline.
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The first hot meal was also able to be delivered to the trapped workers today via the pipes, reportedly including Aloo-Chana Dal, Khichdi and Daliya.
Oxygen and other supplies such as medicine, phones and chargers have been sent down to the workers too.
One of the trapped workers, Akhilesh Kumar, said, as per The Times of India: "We are getting food, but all of us are in bad condition. What is the progress of the rescue work?
"Please take us out quickly. It is getting harder and harder with each passing day."
International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix said this morning (21 November) its 'fantastic' news to have been able to obtain camera footage of the workers.
He said: "It is great to see the faces of those men that we are going to bring home. We have food going to them now, we have communications to them now.
"You have seen this morning that we have multiple approaches to the rescue. It's a good morning."
Dix updated the rescue assembly are planning to drill down vertically, but are still preparing the site because it is 'very important that it is done very accurately'.
"I think the team here has done a wonderful job. It is fantastic...Two locations identified (for vertical drilling)," he continues.
"We are going to rescue these men. 41 men are going to be coming home and no one is going to be hurt, that's the mission."
The rescue operation has experienced a 'brief setback' as a result of the narrow road leading to the site causing the piling machine to get stuck.
However, teams are working hard to widen the road so that it can continue its journey through and as per the latest update from the Times of India, rescue teams have started their horizontal drilling.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami added: "All agencies, engineers, technicians and experts are working on it. With their hard work, food is now being sent through the six-inch pipeline. This is definitely encouraging for us.
"We pray to God for the rescue operation to conclude at the earliest and for all our workers to come out safely. PM is collecting details every day and providing all possible help to us."