Rescuers in India have drilled two thirds of the way through the debris of a collapsed road tunnel in the state of Utrakhand. 41 workers have been trapped there for ten days. Engineers are working to drive a steel pipe through at least 57 meters of earth and rock, dividing the trap men from their freedom. The workers were building the tunnel when part of it caved in on the 12 November. Well, our south Asia correspondent Samira Hussain joins us now from the scene in Uttarakashi. Samira, we saw those images yesterday after an endoscopy camera was able to be fed through that tunnel. So we know that the workers are safe for the moment. How soon is it likely that they'll actually be out and free again?

So rescue officials are seemingly optimistic. They have said that they've actually made some really good progress. Now remember, they have had previous drilling machines that were drilling at the mouth of the tunnel, which is what you see right behind me. But two machines have broken down. So right now they're on their third machine. But apparently, according to rescue officials, this machine is quite successful and it's getting through the debris quite quickly. Now, the last time we got an update from officials here, that was a few hours ago, they said that they had gotten through about 45 meters and as you rightly pointed out, they need to get to 57 meters. And every time they go through a section of that tunnel, they're inserting that metal pipe that they hope that the construction workers are going to be able to walk through and come through to safety.

And Samira, tell us about the terrain in the first place. I mean, how did this happen? This is quite a mountainous area.

Right? So we're on the foothills of the Himalayas, and even where I'm standing now, I mean, it's quite brambly here. There's a lot of mud and construction and dirt. Remember that they are cutting through a mountain. So you can see sort of just behind me. I realize that it's quite dark, but you can see the trees behind me and that just gives you a sense of just how high this mountain is and they're cutting through that. So you can imagine that there's just quite a lot of debris that is sort of coming out from this area. Now, also remember that this is an area that is prone to landslides and that's ultimately what had happened here is that a neighboring landslide came in and crushed the partially built tunnel.

And Samira, we've been hearing the last ten days or so that families who are obviously desperately worried about their relatives who are trapped, still have been gathering where you are waiting for news. Have you managed to speak to any what have they been saying to you?

So because it is time and Regina, I have to say it gets quite cold here. It's in the single digits and you can just imagine if it's cold for me standing here dressed as I am. You can't even imagine just how cold it must be for those workers inside the tunnel. So a lot of the family and friends that had normally been gathered here, they sort of move away in the evenings because it's so cold. And they come back during the morning and they're anxious and they're angry. They're wondering why it is taking so long to get these men out.

Samira Hussein in Uttarakashi. Thanks for talking to us.