Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami said rescuers "are minutes away from extricating" the 41 workers trapped for 17 days inside the collapsed Uttarkashi tunnel. He announced that "pipe-laying through the rubble at Silkyara tunnel was complete" in the complex operation making global headlines. In a post, Dhami stated, "With immense blessings...and relentless hard work of the rescue agencies...pipe-laying through the tunnel has been completed and our brothers will soon be evacuated." Garlands awaited the workers, with the evacuated group to be treated at a healthcare facility at the Community Health Center in Chinyalisaur. Relatives of the workers thanked PM Modi for the safe return of their loved ones. Some workers have reportedly exited but authorities haven't officially confirmed. After weeks of uncertainty, Dhami indicated the marathon rescue effort reached fruition with trapped workers tantalizingly close to liberation.

In a significant development, the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand has been breached, offering hope to the families of 41 workers trapped inside. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami confirmed the completion of laying pipes for the workers' extraction. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is set to initiate the rescue operation, equipped with ropes and essential tools. Ambulances and doctors stand ready outside the tunnel. The intricate plan involves pulling workers one by one on wheeled stretchers through a 90 cm-wide pipe. The entire process is expected to take a couple of hours for each worker.

A banned hazardous mining method finally made the breakthrough in rescuing the trapped 41 workers in the collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel after high-tech machines failed. 'Rat-hole' mining, involving manual digging of narrow pits, began to manually clear the tunnel rubble and save 41 trapped workers after 17 days. It allowed quick progress as diggers with hand tools burrowed tunnels on all fours like rats. But rat-hole mining's dangers saw India prohibit it in 2014 - though it remains rampantly used in Meghalaya's thin, economics-defying coal seams. In this process of mining, cramped shafts suit small framed miners, including illegally hired children. Despite accidents killing rat-hole workers, the outlawed technique became the last resort to manually inch through debris and reach the men deprived of natural light since November 12.

In a major breakthrough on Tuesday, the rescue team breached the rubble and debris after 16 gruelling days and reached the 41 workers trapped since November 12 inside Uttarakhand's collapsed Silkyara-Barkot tunnel. Sources said around 1:10 pm the rescuers broke through to the missing workers, drawing cheers from the rescue site. Ambulances and a medical team immediately reached the remote spot to rush the workers to hospital once pulled out. In the last leg, 12 risky rat-hole miners had been manually digging towards the workers. CM Dhami confirmed pipes have finally been laid into the tunnel to pull the workers out very soon, ending their over two-week ordeal. Families anxiously await their safe return.

A sensitive rescue operation continues in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district to save 41 workers trapped since November 12 in a collapsed tunnel. A team of 12 rat-hole mining experts have undertaken perilous manual drilling to break through the final few metres of rubble separating the stable, supplied workers from rescue. Officials say the workers are now just 3 metres away from rescue. Vertical drilling down 86 metres from above the tunnel also continues, with plans to pull out workers through the 1-metre wide shaft by Thursday. Meanwhile, food and medicines are regularly reaching the trapped workers. Prime Minister Modi is receiving daily updates on the rescue mission as experts inch agonizingly closer to the workers.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced significant progress in the Silkyara tunnel rescue, revealing that almost 52 meters of drilling has been completed. With an expected breakthrough around 57 meters, rat-hole mining experts are navigating the final stretch to reach 41 trapped workers. Micro tunnelling expert Chris Cooper expressed optimism, stating, "It went very well last night. We have crossed 50 meters. It's now about five-six meters to go. We didn't have any obstacles last night. It is looking very positive." The rescue operation, now in its 16th day, shows promising signs of success.

In the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse, a six-member team of rat-hole miners from Madhya Pradesh has been deployed for manual rescue operations. After a US-made auger machine faced complications, officials opted for horizontal drilling and rat-hole mining to evacuate 41 workers trapped for 16 days. The miners, skilled in the primitive method of extracting through narrow passages, started drilling from inside pipes pushed into the tunnel. Adverse weather conditions pose challenges, with the India Meteorological Department predicting thunderstorms. The collapsed section occurred during the construction of a 4.5-km-long tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway.

In Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army, under Operation GUSHI, apprehended two individuals on Monday. A Mobile Vehicle Interception Post (MVIP) was established at Gushi Bridge, leading to the recovery of four hand grenades, one pistol with ammunition, and incriminating materials. The joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, based on specific intelligence, targeted suspected individuals. The Chinar Corps of the Indian Army stated, "Further investigation is underway." This successful operation highlights ongoing efforts to maintain security and curb illicit activities in the region.

A remarkable story of human-animal bonding is the talk of the town in Karnataka's Davanagere. A stray dog remarkably turned up at the home of 21-year-old Tippesh days after he died avoiding a collision with the canine. Tippesh died due to severe head injuries in Bhadravathi, a taluk in Shivamogga district, on November 16. His mother Yashodamma said, "The dog tried to approach our house after the funeral, but other strays fought it off. It finally entered...and rested its head on my hand. We felt the dog was trying to convey grief." A relative said the dog walked 8 kilometers back along with Tippesh's body and was even around at his funeral. Three days later his sister Chandana said, it "cosied up to Tippesh's mother." She added the family is "not angry with the dog" as "it was an accident." The heartwarming bond between a canine and a grieving family is a tale that needs telling again and again.

Authorities said horizontal manual drilling by specialist "rat miners" has begun in the Uttarakhand tunnel where 41 workers remain trapped, unable to rely just on the faulty American auger machine. The miners are used to burrowing narrow mine shafts through primitive techniques to extract coal. Neeraj Khairwal, Secretary, Uttarakhand government, said 24 rat miners will work 24 hours to remove manual debris. The work will be done in three shifts. Once in working condition, the Auger Machine will push the 800-mm pipe forward as the manual drilling progresses. Separately, 36 meters of a potential vertical escape passage has been dug. With main drilling avenues faltering after over 15 days, manual boring by the skilled workers from the sides, top, and other ends is the focus now. Officials indicated with machine failures, the painstaking manual drilling process remains the only certain recourse left to save the group.