Indian rescue teams have saved all 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel that caved in during construction nearly three weeks ago.
The workers were extracted one at a time on wheeled stretchers through 90cm-wide metal pipes pushed through the rock.
They had been stuck in the 4.5km tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, northern India since it caved in early on November 12.
Teams of doctors and ambulances were waiting on standby at a makeshift hospital outside the tunnel in Uttarakhand, northern India, to offer immediate help to the men.
The final stage of the operation began on Tuesday morning with rescuers only three metres away from the trapped workers, cutting through the last stretch by hand.
"Work of laying pipes in the tunnel to take out workers has been completed," Uttarakhand state chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on the X, formerly known as Twitter.
He thanked the Hindu deity Baba Baukh Nag Ji, as well as the millions of Indians who prayed for the men and the rescuers.
"Soon, all the labourer brothers will be taken out."
Emergency services in the mountainous state had struggled to free the men, even after bringing in powerful hydraulic augurs to bore into the rock. They had battled drilling machinery breakdowns, bad weather and landslides.
Rescuers had resorted to manual digging, sending in “rat-miners” who work in small spaces, after the drilling machine broke down irreparably on Friday.
The machinery jammed when it hit a steel beam among the debris and rubble.
It had bored through about 47 metres of the approximately 60 metres of rock. Rescuers inserted pipes into dug-out areas and welded them together ready to extract the trapped men.
They workers were first located a week ago through a small opening in the rock and seen on camera in good spirits.
Water and food was passed through the small shaft, keeping the men alive and staving off death from dehydration.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
