Rescue operations are near a breakthrough as the pipe has to be pushed for another two metres to reach the 41 workers who have been trapped in the Silkyara tunnel for 16 days, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said on Tuesday.

As many as 12 rat-hole mining experts were called in to finish the last stretch of drilling by using hand-held tools in a confined space after the broken parts of the auger drilling machine were removed from the rubbles.

Giving an update on the rescue operations, NDMA Member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain told reporters here that 58 metres of drilling has been done, and the rescue pipe has to be pushed towards the trapped workers by another two meters.

"We are near a breakthrough but not yet there," he said, and added that trapped workers have heard the sounds of machines.

Once the breakthrough is achieved, it would take 3-4 hours to bring out all the trapped workers, he said, it would take about 3-5 minutes to pull out each worker on a wheeled stretcher through the pipe.

He also said that rat miners did a phenomenal job by digging 10 metres in less than 24 hours.

Hasnain said all security and safety precautions are being taken for workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel and for those engaged in rescue operations.

"We are not in a hurry," he said, and added facilities are in place to provide medical aid to the workers. After the rescue, workers will be kept under medical observation for 48-72 hours.

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