Trapped forty-one construction workers enter the tenth day

The forty-one construction workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India has captured global attention. The workers have been stuck since November 12, when a landslide caused a portion of the 4.5-kilometer tunnel they were building to collapse about 200 meters from the entrance. Despite ongoing rescue efforts, progress has been slow and complicated by falling debris and repeated breakdowns of crucial heavy drilling machines .

Rescue operations have faced numerous challenges, including snags with drilling machines and the need to drill through up to 60 meters of rubble and debris to reach the trapped workers. Authorities have contemplated alternative rescue plans, including the possibility of using a new machine to drill from the top of the hill under which the workers are trapped. It is expected that this could take an additional four or five days, further prolonging the workers' ordeal .

The workers were finally given hot meals on the 10th day of their ordeal as rescuers continue to work on extracting them from the collapsed tunnel. Video footage of the workers was captured using a medical endoscopy camera pushed through a 15cm-wide pipeline drilled into the debris, providing the first glimpses of the workers' situation.

The rescue operation remains ongoing, with officials considering new methods to reach the trapped workers. The situation underscores the challenges and risks faced by workers in construction and infrastructure development, particularly in hilly and landslide-prone areas. As the world watches, hopes remain high for the successful and safe rescue of the forty-one workers from the collapsed tunnel in India.