SILKYARA, India, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Indian authorities are intensifying their efforts to rescue 41 workers who remain trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the northern state of Uttarakhand. After a week of failed attempts, authorities are exploring five new plans to safely extricate the workers.

The workers have been stuck in the highway tunnel since November 12, and authorities have confirmed that they are safe and being supplied with food through a pipe. The cause of the collapse has yet to be determined, although the hilly region is known for its susceptibility to landslides, earthquakes, and floods.

Rescue teams had been utilizing a horizontal drilling method to reach the trapped workers in the 4.5-kilometer (3-mile) tunnel. However, their progress was halted when the auger drilling machine broke on Friday. A replacement machine has since been flown in to resume the operation.

Bhaskar Khulbe, the officer on special duty for the tunnel project, provided an update on Friday, stating that drilling has been temporarily suspended and estimated that it would take an additional four or five days to receive "the good news" of successfully rescuing the workers.

In the meantime, the rescue team has turned their attention to alternative plans. According to a government document reviewed by Reuters, these options include constructing a perpendicular tunnel with two proposed routes and inserting a lifeline pipe measuring six inches (15 cm) in diameter.

Authorities are determined to explore all possible avenues to ensure the safe rescue of the trapped workers. The delicate nature of the operation requires thorough planning and strategic execution to minimize any potential risks to both the rescue team and the workers.

As the rescue mission continues at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, all efforts are being made to swiftly bring the 41 trapped workers to safety. Updates will be provided as the situation develops.