Rescue of Trapped Workers in Uttarakhand Tunnel Delayed Due to Last-Minute Issue

Efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a tunnel in Uttarakhand, India, have resumed after facing a setback, according to officials. The workers have been trapped inside the tunnel since November 12th when a landslide caused a section of it to collapse. The rescue operation encountered a problem on Wednesday when a drilling machine encountered a steel structure it could not cut through. Gas-cutters were eventually used to overcome the obstacle, but it resulted in a delay of six hours. Despite the setback, rescuers had managed to drill through three-quarters of the debris and were hopeful that the workers could be rescued by Thursday morning. The director general of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stated that if everything goes according to plan, the rescue should be completed by tonight. Officials have been in contact with the trapped workers since the collapse and have been supplying them with necessary provisions through a pipeline. Friends and relatives of the workers have been waiting anxiously for their rescue. The operation has faced delays and obstacles due to loose soil, hard rock, and falling debris. An auger drill was flown in to assist in clearing the debris. Once the final rescue pipe reaches the workers, a doctor will assess their condition before they are transported to a nearby hospital.