Digging to rescue 41 workers trapped in tunnel in India hit by mechanical issue

People watch rescue operations at the site (AP Photo)

The rescue of 41 construction workers who have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in northern India for nearly two weeks has run into another delay during what was described as the final phase of digging to reach them, officials said.

The platform of the drilling machine became destabilised while piercing through rock debris, and technicians need to fix it before the rescue operation can resume, said Kirti Panwar, a spokesperson for the Uttarakhand state government.