Rescuers pull out 41 workers trapped in Himalayan tunnel

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Regional Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, right, greeting one of the workers. Associated Press/Uttarakhand State Department of Information and Public Relations

Rescuers pull out 41 workers trapped in Himalayan tunnel

Indian emergency crews on Tuesday broke through the final layer of rocks and debris to reach the men more than two weeks after they were trapped. Part of the tunnel they were building in the Himalayas collapsed on Nov. 12, blocking their exit with more than 180 feet of rubble. A high-powered drill and manual digging were used to break through to the men. Rescuers worked for more than 400 hours to reach them, said Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of India’s National Disaster Management Authority. Officials transported food, water, and oxygen to the workers through pipes.

How will the men be removed from the tunnel? Rescuers pushed a large pipe through the exit shaft through which the men could be pulled to safety, said regional Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Dozens of ambulances and medical personnel had gathered outside the tunnel to render aid and take the men to a hospital.

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Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.