On November 21, Indian authorities released the first images of 41 workers trapped in the Uttarakhand state's expressway tunnel collapse. Everyone was safe, but it looked exhausted and worried.
We will get you out safely, dont worry, the rescue team told the men wearing helmets trapped inside as they gathered near the camera.
AFP said excavators have moved tons of soil, concrete and crushed bricks from the tunnel under construction in the northern Himalaya state of Uttarakhand since November 12, after part of the tunnel collapsed.
However, rescue efforts were slow and complicated due to debris falling and continuous incidents of important heavy drilling machines, forcing the air force to transport new equipment twice by plane.
Before the camera was taken down to the tunnel, the rescue team contacted the workers inside by phone.
Uttarakhand state president Pushkar Singh Dhami said: All workers are completely safe. We are trying our best to get them out as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Dhami said he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the rescue work. Prime Minister Modi has directed that sending workers out must be a top priority.
The engineers tried to drill a 57-meter-long steel pipeline filled with landslides. If the drilling is successful, the rescue team can open a large enough exit for the workers trapped.
But the giant soil drillder came upon rocks that could not be drilled through. Therefore, the drilling was temporarily suspended on November 17.
Rescue teams are currently preparing two new ways to approach the stranded.
The first method is to drill a vertical shaft from the hill above to a depth of about 89 meters - a not-so-smooth task.
The second way is to approach the tunnel from the far side, a route of more than 450 meters.
The pipeline used to supply workers who were stuck was opened on November 20 and cameras were taken down along the pipeline.
Hot meals are also being delivered via the new pipeline for the first time.
We have transferred 24 bottles of food and bananas to the workers who were trapped, local official Abhishek Ruhela told AFP.
Experts have warned about the impact of widespread construction in the state of Uttarakhand, which is prone to landslides.
The 4.5km tunnel is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's infrastructure plan to reduce travel time between some of the most famous locations while improving access to strategic areas bordering China.
Foreign experts have been dispatched, including Australian independent disaster investigator Arnold Dix, president of the International Space and tunnel Association.
Mr. Dix told India's Press Trust that it is not yet clear exactly when the 41 workers will be allowed to return home.
