Rescuers have broken through debris that trapped 41 men in an Indian tunnel for more than two weeks, an official has said.

They are expected to be pulled out one-by-one on wheeled stretchers through a pipe three feet wide.

However, more debris will need to be cleared before the tube can be pushed through, officials said.

It will take a couple of hours to complete the operation, they added.

Dozens of rescue workers with ropes and ladders are outside the tunnel and ambulances are waiting in a long line.

First aid will be provided on site before the men are taken to a hospital about 19 miles (30km) away.

The low-wage workers from India’s poorest states have been stuck in the three-mile (4.5km) highway tunnel in Uttarakhand since 12 November.

The men have been receiving food, water, light, oxygen and medicines through a pipe.

Image:
Ambulances waiting outside the tunnel

Last week, a drilling machine broke down, delaying the rescue operation.

But on Monday, so-called rat miners were brought in to drill through the rocks and gravel by hand.

A dozen men were taking turns with hand-held tools, said Kirti Panwar, a state government spokesperson.

They made good progress overnight, officials said earlier.

“About six or seven metres are left,” said Deepak Patil overnight, a senior officer leading the rescue.

Asked whether the men could be reached on Tuesday, he replied: “Sure, 100%.”

Rescuers had also started to create a vertical channel to drill down.

A concrete block is carried into the tunnel where rescue operations are underway to rescue trapped workers
Image:
A concrete block is carried into the tunnel

Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, previously said the damaged drilling machine would be removed by Sunday.

The tunnel is part of the £1.2bn Char Dham highway, being built to connect four Hindu pilgrimage sites through a 500-mile network of roads.

While authorities have not said what caused the collapse, there have previously been landslides, earthquakes and floods in the area.