Rescuers achieved a significant breakthrough by threading a six-inch-wide pipeline through the debris of a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand on Monday (20 November). This development marks a crucial milestone in their efforts to provide larger quantities of food and essential supplies to the 41 workers who have been trapped for eight days.

Initially, a four-inch tube was used to deliver items like dry fruit, medicines, and oxygen to the section of the tunnel beyond the rubble. The introduction of the new pipeline enables the transportation of food items such as roti and sabji to reach the trapped workers.

Anshu Manish Kalkho, the Director of NHIDCL, described it as the “first breakthrough” at the site, emphasising that the pipe has been extended 53 meters to the other side of the rubble, allowing the trapped workers to hear and connect with the rescuers, The Hindu reported.

The collapse occurred in Silkyara village, Uttarkashi district, as part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project, following a landslide on 12 November.