Uttarakhand tunnel collapse: Rat-hole miners few metres away from trapped workers as op enters day 17 | Top points

A team of “rat-hole miners” began manual drilling operations on Monday to reach the 41 workers trapped within the debris of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi as rescue operations entered Day 17.

At least 24 seasoned “rat-hole mining” experts are involved in the manual drilling process and excavate a narrow passageway toward the trapped workers. This time-consuming task will involve removing debris and creating a safe route for the rescue operation. The workers are just 5 metres away from the rescue team.