Search and rescue under way after tunnel collapse trapped 40 people in India

A rescue mission is under way after parts of a road tunnel collapsed and trapped 40 construction workers in India.

On Sunday, the site in mountainous in the state of Uttarakhand, was hit by a landslide which led to a widespread search for a missing crew working on the tunnel.

Police confirmed overnight all of the workers are safe and that they have been supplied with oxygen and water.

Officer Prashant Kumar added that rescuers had established contact with the trapped individuals.

A rescue mission remains underway for the trapped. / Credit: State Disaster Response Force via AP

Massive construction of buildings and roadways have taken place in recent years in Uttarakhand. The trapped workers were building part of the Chardham all-weather road, a flagship federal government project connecting various Hindu pilgrimage sites.

Authorities have been pumping oxygen through a pipe into the collapsed section of the tunnel to help workers breathe.

“The team has progressed 15 metres into the tunnel, with an additional 35 metres yet to cover,” Kumar said, adding that more than 150 rescuers had used drilling equipment and excavators to clear debris through the night.

The collapsed portion of the three mile tunnel is about 200 metres from the entrance, officials told the Press Trust of India news agency.

In January, Uttarakhand state authorities moved hundreds of people to temporary shelters after a temple collapsed and cracks appeared in over 600 houses because of the sinking of land in and around Joshimath town in the region.