Current:Home > Contact-us41 workers stuck in a tunnel in India for 10th day given hot meals as rescue operation shifts gear-LoTradeCoin
41 workers stuck in a tunnel in India for 10th day given hot meals as rescue operation shifts gear
View Date:2024-12-23 23:31:59
NEW DELHI (AP) — The 41 construction workers who have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for over a week are finally getting hot meals Tuesday, provided through a newly installed steel pipe, as rescuers work on an alternate plan of digging toward them vertically.
The meals, made of rice and lentils, were sent through a 6-inch-(15.24 cm) pipe pushed through the rubble late Monday, said Deepa Gaur, a government spokesperson.
For the last nine days, the workers survived off of dry food sent through a narrower pipe. Oxygen is being supplied to them through a separate pipe.
Officials on Tuesday released a video, after a camera was pushed through the pipe, showing the workers in their construction hats moving around the blocked tunnel while communicating with rescuers on the ground through walkie-talkies. Their families have been growing more worried and frustrated as the rescue operation dragged on.
EARLIER COVERAGE Blocked from a horizontal route, rescuers will dig vertically to reach 41 trapped in India tunnelThe tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand state, a mountainous region that has proved a challenge to the drilling machine which broke down as rescuers attempted to dig horizontally toward the trapped workers. The machine’s high-intensity vibrations also caused more debris to fall, prompting officials to suspend rescue efforts briefly.
Currently, rescuers are creating an access road to the top of the hill from where they will dig vertically. From the vertical direction, drilling to the tunnel will take a few days and debris could fall during the digging, officials said Monday. Rescue teams will need to dig 103 meters (338 feet) downwards to reach the trapped workers — nearly double the distance.
Auhtorities said they would also continue digging horizontally from the mouth of the tunnel toward the laborers.
The workers have been trapped since Nov. 12, when a landslide caused a portion of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) tunnel they were building to collapse about 200 meters (650 feet) from the entrance.
Uttarakhand is dotted with Hindu temples, and highway and building construction has been constant to accommodate the influx of pilgrims and tourists. The tunnel is part of the Chardham all-weather road, a flagship federal project connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.
About 200 disaster relief personnel have been at the site using drilling equipment and excavators in the rescue operation.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Will Trump’s hush money conviction stand? A judge will rule on the president-elect’s immunity claim
- Knicks sue Raptors, accusing foe of using ex-Knicks employee as ‘mole’ to steal scouting secrets
- RHOA Shocker: One Housewife's Ex Reveals He's Had a Secret Child for 26 Years
- UK judge set to sentence nurse Lucy Letby for murders of 7 babies and attempted murders of 6
- Atmospheric river to bring heavy snow, rain to Northwest this week
- Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Share Glimpse Inside Family Vacation Amid Relationship Speculation
- John Cena returning to WWE in September, will be at Superstar Spectacle show in India
- Charges dismissed in high-speed attempted murder case near Bismarck
- See Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Brian Austin Green and Sharna Burgess' Blended Family Photos
- Weather service confirms fifth tornado among a spate of twisters to hit New England last week
Ranking
- Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
- Hiding beneath normality, daily life in Kyiv conceals the burdens of war
- Former President Donald Trump’s bond is set at $200,000 in Georgia case
- As Tropical Storm Hilary shrinks, desert and mountain towns dig themselves out of the mud
- Mike Tyson emerges as heavyweight champ among product pitchmen before Jake Paul fight
- See Rare Photos of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's Son Zuma on 15th Birthday
- These 5 things can make or break your ability to build wealth
- Maryland man charged with ISIS-inspired plot pleads guilty to planning separate airport attack
Recommendation
-
Richard Allen found guilty in the murders of two teens in Delphi, Indiana. What now?
-
Social Security COLA increase will ‘return to reality’ in 2024 after jump, predictions say
-
The 50 best superhero movies ever, ranked (from 'Blue Beetle' to 'Superman')
-
Canadian firefighters make progress battling some blazes but others push thousands from their homes
-
Young Black and Latino men say they chose Trump because of the economy and jobs. Here’s how and why
-
Life in a rural ambulance desert means sometimes help isn't on the way
-
After second tournament title this summer, Coco Gauff could be the US Open favorite
-
Dentist convicted of killing wife on African safari set to be sentenced to life in prison