Uttarkashi: Rescue workers pulled out all 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel in a multi-agency rescue operation that hovered between hope and despair over almost 17 days.
Union minister V K Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed the workers as National Disaster Response Force men brought them out through a steel chute that lined a 60-metre escape passage.
An ambulance with the first of the 41 workers left the mouth of the tunnel around 8 pm, about an hour after a group of rat-hole mining experts dug through the last stretch of rubble.
There was hugging and cheers as the ordeal ended. Outside the tunnel some people chanted “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”
Ambulances which had lined up at the tunnel ferried the workers to a community health centre where a special 41-bed ward had been set up.
Before this, the workers were given a quick medical checkup as they emerged out of the steel pipe.
A portion of the tunnel collapsed on November 12, blocking the exit for the workers who were inside.
Food, medicines and other essentials were sent to them through a six-inch pipe pushed through the rubble of the collapsed portion.
President Droupadi Murmu expressed happiness over the rescue of the trapped workers, saying the nation salutes their resilience and remains grateful to them for building critical infrastructure even at great personal risk.
Their travails over the 17 days, as the rescue effort met with obstacles, have been a testament of human endurance, Murmu said.
“I congratulate the teams and all experts who have acted with incredible grit and determination to perform one of the most difficult rescue missions in history,” Murmu said in a post on X.
“I feel relieved and happy to learn that all the workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand have been rescued. Their travails over 17 days, as the rescue effort met with obstacles, have been a testament of human endurance. The nation salutes their resilience and remains grateful to them for building critical infrastructure, even at great personal risk, far away from their homes,” President Murmu said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the successful operation to rescue the workers trapped in a tunnel, asserting that it has made everyone emotional.
In a post on X soon after the workers were brought out of the tunnel, Modi saluted the spirit of people involved in the operation and said their courage and resolve have given a new life to them.
“Everyone involved in the mission has created an amazing example of humanity and teamwork,” he said.
Addressing the 41 rescued workers, he said their courage and patience inspire everyone as he wished them good health and well-being.
“It is a matter of great satisfaction that these friends of ours will meet their dear ones after a long wait,” he said, asserting that the patience and courage of their family members cannot be praised enough.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the rescue as “great news for the nation” and said the country salutes their grit in facing such a challenging situation for so long.
Shah also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all those who made tireless efforts to save the labourers.
“It is great news for the nation that all our 41 Shramik brothers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarkashi have been rescued safe and sound. Nation salutes their grit in facing such a challenging situation in the tunnel for so long,” Shah said on X.
“My heartfelt gratitude to all the people and the agencies that have made tireless efforts to save the lives of our fellow citizens,” he said.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said he is “relieved and happy” as all 41 trapped workers have been rescued.
“I am completely relieved and happy as 41 trapped laborers in the Silkyara Tunnel Collapse have been successfully rescued,” Gadkari said in a post on X.
The Road Transport and Highways Minister said that the government will do a safety audit of all under-construction tunnels.
“This was a well-coordinated effort by multiple agencies, marking one of the most significant rescue operations in recent years. Various departments and agencies complemented each other despite facing numerous challenges,” Gadkari said.
