Workers trapped in collapsed road tunnel for 10 days advised to 'do light yoga and chat'

Workers trapped in a collapsed road tunnel in India have been reportedly advised to “do light yoga and chat”.

A total of 41 men have been trapped inside the tunnel for 10 days and first images of the men have been released by the Indian authorities.

The images show around dozen men in construction hats grouped around the blocked tunnel as they communicated with rescuers on the ground with walkie-talkies.

The photos were captured from a video taken by a snakelike medical endoscopy camera fed through a newly installed pipe used for sending food to the workers.

They were given hot food with rice and lentils for the first time in a week, with the group surviving off only dried produce for days.

A psychiatrist sent to the site by the state government in Uttarkashi reported they had been "sleeping well" and advised them to occupy themselves with light yoga and regular conversations.

There were several reports that the workers had fallen ill last week, however, authorities have dismissed the rumours and confirmed the group was safe, having also received water, medicine and access to light.

On Sunday, a landslide caused a portion of the 4.5km tunnel in Uttarkashi, northern India, to collapse about 200m from the entrance.

Uttarkashi is about 160 miles (260km) northeast of Delhi, close to the Himalayas.

A huge rescue operation was launched but it was hampered when one of the drills digging towards the men was damaged.

The machine's high-intensity vibrations caused more debris to fall as the rescue efforts were briefly postponed, to the dismay of family members who hoped to see their relatives.

Rescue teams will need to clear 103m of rubble to reach the men - nearly double the distance as the original rescue attempt.