Rescue of 41 workers trapped in collapsed tunnel reaches last stretch of digging

Once they finish excavating the additional 43 feet, the rescuers can insert and weld together pipes through which the workers can crawl to their freedom.

People wait by the site of an under-construction road tunnel that collapsed trapping 41 workers (AP Photo)

The rescue of 41 construction workers trapped for nearly two weeks in a collapsed tunnel in northern India has reached the final stretch of digging.

The drill that is digging into the dirt and debris had made it through 144 feet out of approximately the 187 feet needed, Harpal Singh, a manager of another tunnel project who is helping with the rescue, told the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency late on Wednesday night.