Normally when a tunnel collapses, anyone trapped inside dies. Against the odds, in a 2023 rescue, Arnold Dix thought things could be different.
In November 2023, a group of 41 men were working underground in the Himalayas of India. They were making a road tunnel – a major piece of infrastructure to improve connectivity to several Hindu pilgrimage sites in the iconic mountain ranges. While they were working, part of the tunnel collapsed, blocking the exit and effectively imprisoning these 41 workers underground.
Then president of the International Tunnelling Association and Australian professor of engineering, Arnold Dix, got a call to help in the rescue effort. When he arrived the mood was pessimistic as all the previous rescue attempts had failed. And, according to Arnold, generally these types of collapses result in fatalities. Despite this, Arnold went on television and made an almighty promise to everyone watching that all 41 men would survive, none of the rescuers would be hurt, and they would do all this by Christmas. It was a huge gamble, but to keep his promise Arnold advocated for a 'soft and slow' approach. Eventually, after more than two weeks, the rescuers broke through to the cavern where the men were confined.
This programme was edited on June 11th 2025.
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(Photo: Arnold in his high-vis uniform, with Indian colleagues, in the Himalayas. Credit: Arnold Dix)
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Saskia Collette
