The first images of dozens of men trapped inside a tunnel in the Himalayas were released by local authorities. The rescue operation enters its tenth day.
The video, captured by a camera attached to a tube by rescuers on the surface, shows the men wearing helmets and standing in a large cave about 60 meters deep into the mountain.
“Don’t worry, we’ll get there quickly,” says a rescuer over a loudspeaker. “Show us you’re okay. Take the camera (out of the tube) slowly. Show us each one’s face.”
The 41 trapped workers have been receiving food, water and oxygen through the tube after the tunnel entrance collapsed on November 12.
Indian authorities have been looking at strategies to free the men, including inserting another large pipe through the rubble so they can try to crawl out. But any effort to open a passage has been complicated by unstable terrain. Drilling has frequently been paused.
In what was described as the “first success” of the operation, rescuers managed to insert a 53-meter pipe through the rubble on Monday (20), which allowed food, water, medicine and oxygen to be delivered to trapped workers.
“Confidence in keeping the lives of trapped workers safe has greatly increased,” said a statement released by state officials on Monday. “After this good news, there is happiness and enthusiasm on the rescue fronts with the workers and their families and now there is a lot of hope for other rescue options.”
A makeshift hospital was created at the tunnel entrance for the moment the workers exit.
Complicated rescue
Authorities established contact with the men soon after the collapse and have since been trying to bring them to safety, assisted by local police, the Disaster Management Authority of India and the State Disaster Response Fund.
Rescuers first attempted to dig through the rubble to reach the men, however progress was slow as more debris fell into the pit.
They then brought in a drill to try and create a hole wide enough to insert a tube and the men could crawl out. But work was halted after a landslide complicated those efforts.
Authorities then brought a high-powered drill from the capital New Delhi for further drilling. Relatives of the workers are monitoring the situation.
Just as the machine began work, a “large-scale cracking sound” was heard last Friday, Reuters reported, citing a local statement, prompting authorities to pause drilling once again.
Authorities say they are exploring all options to reach the men, including international aid to teams involved in other complex rescues.
Source: CNN Brasil
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