Drilling to rescue 40 men trapped in Indian tunnel halted after snag, cracking sound

Police officers stand guard next to a barricade past the entrance of 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 16, 2023. REUTERS/Shankar Prasad Nautiyal NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

SILKYARA, India (Reuters) -Rescuers trying to reach 40 workers trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel in the Indian Himalayas since last weekend suspended work temporarily on Friday after hearing a sudden "cracking sound" and the drilling machine developed a snag.

The men have been stuck in the hillside tunnel in Uttarakhand state since Sunday morning after it caved in and are safe, authorities said.