India tunnel collapse: rescuers start drilling downwards after safer options fail

Rescuers have begun a ‘risky’ attempt to drill vertically down rescue 41 Indian workers trapped in a collapsed mountain tunnel.
The labourers have been trapped in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in the mountainous state of Uttarakhand for more than two weeks after a landslide caused the entrance of the tunnel to collapse and become blocked.
The drilling machine that had been horizontally penetrating the thick rubble broke down on Friday after it hit a metal obstruction, however officials warned vertical drilling was risky as the heavy vibrations could pose a “huge threat” to the mountains and also destabilise the surrounding terrain where others are living
India tunnel collapse: rescuers attempt vertical drilling after safer options hit trouble