Indian rescuers drill through debris to reach 41 men trapped in tunnel

People watch rescue and relief operations at the site of an under-construction road tunnel in India. Picture: PA

Indian rescuers drilled through rocks and debris on Tuesday to reach 41 workers trapped for 17 days in a collapsed tunnel in the Himalayas, and were set to pull them out one by one to safety, officials said.

The men, low-wage workers from India's poorest states, have been stuck in the 4.5km tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it collapsed on November 12.