Key Points
The fate of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel remained uncertain on Sunday as rescuers began the somewhat riskier process of vertical drilling..
Hope of an immediate rescue has faded after the auger machine encountered obstacles and broke down during horizontal drilling..
Without impediments it will take around 100 hours to reach the trapped workers from the top of the hill above the tunnel..
Vertical drilling started at around 12 noon. 86 meters of digging is required to reach the trapped workers and make an escape passage..
The Barkot end of the tunnel remains closed as work had not yet started on that side. . Officials are executing as many as six plans to rescue the workers..
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