NEW DELHI: Authorities in the Indian Himalayas are expecting a “breakthrough” in efforts to rescue 41 workers trapped in a caved-in tunnel for over two weeks.

“Almost 52 metres has been done (pipe inserted). It is expected that there will be a breakthrough around 57 metres,” Anadolu Agency quoted the top elected official in the state of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, speaking to reporters at the incident site on Tuesday.

A massive operation was launched in the state’s Uttarkashi district on Nov 12 after the under-construction Silkyara Tunnel collapsed, cutting the 41 workers off from the rest of the tunnel, relying solely on supplies sent through a pipe for their survival.

The rescue operation has been marred by multiple glitches, delaying the workers’ rescue.

Earlier an estimated 60 metres needed to be cleared to push through a pipe, to reach the trapped workers, according to rescue officials.

The authorities brought in men known as “rat miners” who began drilling through the rocks and gravel by hand on Monday evening.

Rat miners drill manually mostly in narrow passages and work mostly in mines.

The Indian government stated that the rescue timelines provided “are subject to change due to technical glitches, the challenging Himalayan terrain, and unforeseen emergencies.” –Bernama