Drilling resumes to rescue 40 men trapped in Indian tunnel for fifth day

A crane moves past police officers and rescue team members outside a tunnel where 40 road workers are trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Shankar Prasad Nautiyal

SILKYARA, India (Reuters) -Rescue workers renewed efforts on Thursday to reach 40 men trapped for a fifth day inside a collapsed highway tunnel in India, though progress was slow as they began drilling through rock and soil debris.

Authorities said they were confident an advanced drilling machine flown in from New Delhi will speed up the rescue at the site in the northern state of Uttarakhand.