Jan 26, 2024 - 04:01
By edition.cnn.com

Indian authorities contact Thai cave rescue team as urgency increases to reach trapped men

New Delhi CNN —

Indian authorities trying to rescue dozens of workers trapped for more than 90 hours deep inside a Himalayan mountain have reached out for international help, contacting the Thai team that rescued a boys’ soccer team from a flooded cave in 2018.

The 40 men have been trapped since a tunnel collapsed during construction work in northern Uttarakhand state on Sunday, with rescue efforts becoming more urgent amid reports some are becoming ill.

Four days after the incident, authorities flew in a high-powered drill from the capital New Delhi to begin work on a rescue tunnel early Thursday as anger grew among relatives outside the tunnel’s entrance.

Rescue teams inside the Uttarakhand tunnel on November 14, 2023.

Authorities said they were exploring all options to reach the men, including contacting teams experienced in delicate rescue missions.

“Help is being taken from special teams from Norway and Thailand,” a statement shared by Uttarkashi District Information Officer, Kirti Panwar, said.

“The rescue team has contacted the Thailand company which had rescued the children trapped in the cave,” it added.

Twelve boys and their soccer coach were rescued after nearly three weeks trapped inside the flooded Tham Luang cave by a specialist cave diving team in 2018.

CNN has contacted the Thai firm which assisted in the rescue.

Indian authorities have also reached out to the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to get advice, the statement said.

In a statement Thursday, NGI said its Indian partner, Indian Railways, RVNL, is assisting with the rescue operation but the agency is “not involved now.”