DEHRADUN, India: In northern India, rescue teams have successfully established contact with 40 workers who were trapped for over 24 hours after a road tunnel they were constructing collapsed.

Karamveer Singh Bhandari, a senior commander in the National Disaster Response Force, confirmed the safety of all 40 workers inside the tunnel in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. "We sent them water and food," he stated from the site.

The collapse occurred early Sunday morning, prompting rescue teams to employ heavy excavators to clear debris and reach the trapped workers. Oxygen is being pumped into the blocked section of the tunnel, and food is being sent through a water pipe.

Initial contact was made through a note on a scrap of paper, and later, rescuers established communication using radio handsets. "Some small food packets were sent through a pipe, which is also delivering oxygen," explained rescue official Durgesh Rathodi.

Excavators have removed approximately 20 meters (65 feet) of heavy debris, but the men are still 40 meters beyond that point. Bhandari acknowledged the challenges, stating, "Due to excess debris in the tunnel, we are facing some difficulty in the rescue, but our team is leaving no stone unturned."

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who visited the accident site, reported continuous efforts to remove tons of concrete debris to ensure the workers' safe extraction. "Contact has been made with the workers trapped in the tunnel through a walkie-talkie. Efforts are being made to get them out safely soon," he stated.

While the men are trapped, they have space in the tunnel area, with a buffer of around 400 meters to move and breathe, according to disaster response official Devendra Patwal.

The 4.5-kilometer (2.7-mile) tunnel, part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Char Dham Road Project, aims to improve connectivity to two holy Hindu shrines in Uttarkashi and Yamunotri.

Photographs released by government rescue teams show significant rubble blocking the tunnel, with twisted metal bars on its broken roof. The tunnel is crucial for the Char Dham Road Project, enhancing connectivity to popular Hindu shrines and bordering areas with China.

Large infrastructure construction sites in India often experience accidents. In January, flash floods in Uttarakhand claimed at least 200 lives, with experts attributing the disaster in part to excessive development.