ABC News:
LUCKNOW, India — Forty workers were trapped in a collapsed road tunnel in northern India for a seventh day Saturday as rescuers waited for a new machine to drill through the rubble so they could crawl to their freedom.
On Friday, the drilling was interrupted when some machine bearings became damaged by the breaking of rocks and clearing of debris, officials said, adding a new challenge to the long-drawn rescue efforts.
A new machine was expected to reach the accident site later Saturday, allowing rescuers to start drilling again, said Vijay Singh, an officer at the control room.
Authorities began drilling into the rubble and debris on Thursday and have so far covered a stretch of 24 meters (79 feet), said Devendra Patwal, a disaster management official, said. It may require up to 60 meters (197 feet) to enable the trapped workers’ escape, Patwal told The Associated Press on Friday.
Earlier, the rescuers had hoped to complete the drilling by Friday night and create an escape tunnel of pipes welded together. But rescue efforts hit a snag after a loud cracking sound came from within the tunnel, startling the authorities, who paused the drilling after they found parts of the machine damaged, Tarun Kumar Baidya, director at the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, said from the accident site.
