Digging to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in India delayed for mechanical issue

UTTARKASHI, India (AP) — Officials say the rescue of 41 construction workers who have been trapped for nearly two weeks in a collapsed tunnel in northern India ran into another delay during what was described as the final phase of digging to reach them. A spokesperson for the Uttarakhand state government said late Thursday that the drilling machine’s platform got destabilized while piercing through rock debris and technicians needed to fix it before the operation could resume. Officials earlier had hoped to be ready to start bringing the workers out on Thursday but now it won’t be until Friday at the earliest. When the excavation is completed, pipes will be laid as an escape route.