SILKYARA: Rescuers in India are just six or seven meters (20-23 feet) away from 41 men trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel in the Himalayas for more than two weeks, and are confident of drilling through to reach them on Tuesday, officials said.
The men, low-wage workers from India’s poorest states, have been stuck in the 4.5 km (3 miles) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it collapsed on Nov. 12.
So-called rat miners, brought in on Monday to drill through the rocks and gravel by hand after machinery failed, made good progress overnight, officials said.
“About 6 or 7 meters are left,” said Deepak Patil, a senior officer leading the rescue, adding that more than 50 meters of an estimated 60 meters of debris had been bored through.
“Sure, 100 percent,” he said when asked if the men could be reached on Tuesday.
The men have been getting food, water, light, oxygen and medicines through a pipe but efforts to dig a tunnel to reach and rescue them with drilling machines have been frustrated by a series of snags.
Rescuers on Monday brought in the “rat miners,” experts at a primitive, hazardous and controversial method used mostly to get at coal deposits through narrow passages. Their name comes from their resemblance to burrowing rats.
The tunnel is part of the $1.5 billion Char Dham highway, one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most ambitious projects, aimed at connecting four Hindu pilgrimage sites through an 890- km network of roads.
Authorities have not said what caused the cave-in but the region is prone to landslides, earthquakes and floods.
Indian rescuers say very close to reaching 41 men trapped in tunnel
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Indian rescuers say very close to reaching 41 men trapped in tunnel
- Rescuers just six or seven meters away from workers trapped in a collapsed highway tunnel in the Himalayas for over two weeks
- vMen have been getting food, water, light, oxygen and medicines through pipe but efforts to dig tunnel to reach them frustrated by snags
Pakistan police say two militants killed during gunbattle in northwest
- Police say Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants ambushed police vehicle on patrol in northwestern Bannu district
- Pakistan has frequently blamed neighboring Afghanistan for facilitating what it calls “cross-border attacks” against it
ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s Bannu district said on Monday it thwarted an ambush and killed two militants during a fierce gunbattle, as Islamabad grapples with a surge in militant attacks in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
A police vehicle came under attack from militants affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban group within the jurisdiction of the Domel Police Station in Bannu, a statement from police said.
The police van was on patrol when TTP militants, who were lying in wait near the district’s Company Road, suddenly opened indiscriminate firing on the police party. Following the attack, both sides traded fire for approximately 20 minutes.
“During the exchange of fire, two militants were killed and weapons were recovered from their possession,” the statement said.
Police launched a search operation in the area after the gunfire ended, during which the bodies of the two militants were recovered. The bodies were shifted to the Khaleefa Gul Nawaz (KGN) Hospital in the area for legal formalities.
Bannu Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan praised police for its unwavering commitment in saving people’s lives and for “standing firm against terrorism at all costs.”
“He said operations against elements of Fitna Al-Khawarij will continue under a zero-tolerance policy and those attempting to disrupt peace and order will not be spared under any circumstances,” the police statement said.
Pakistan’s government and army frequently use the term “Fitna Al-Khawarij” to describe TTP militants. The term is drawn from Islamic history for an extremist sect that rebelled against authority and declared other Muslims apostates.
The TTP has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against law enforcement agencies since 2008 in a bid to impose its strict version of Islamic law across Pakistan.
Bannu has also seen several militant attacks in the recent past, with four members of a pro-government peace committee killed by militants in the district earlier this month. In 2025, Bannu police said it recorded 134 attacks on police stations, checkpoints and those targeting its personnel. At least 27 police officers were killed, while authorities say 53 militants died in the clashes.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused neighboring Afghanistan of allowing its soil to be used by armed groups such as the TTP for “cross-border attacks.” It has also alleged that India supports militant groups carrying out attacks against Pakistan. Both Kabul and New Delhi have denied these claims.
