The rescue of 41 workers trapped for two weeks in a tunnel drilled on a Himalayan highway will take much longer after a drilling machine broke down and rescuers are switching to manual drilling, officials said on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The equipment used to break through nearly 60 meters of rubble was damaged on Friday and had been completely pulled out, government officials said, adding that the last 10 to 15 meters would have to be broken up or dug out with hand power tools.

Workers were trapped inside the tunnel for two weeks after part of it collapsed due to a landslide.

The operation was difficult due to the presence of stones and metal in the debris.

The men, construction workers from some of India’s poorest states, were trapped in a 4.5km tunnel under construction in the state of Uttarakhand after it collapsed in the early hours of November 12. Authorities said they are safe and have access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicine.

On Friday, the auger broke after hitting an obstacle.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister of Uttarakhand state, said on Saturday that the damaged rig would be removed on Sunday morning, allowing manual drilling to begin.