- Tuesday, April 22, 2025
The workers were provided with food and water and constant psychological support to survive the challenge over the last fortnight.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIA’s agonising wait extending 17 days over the rescue of 41 workers who got trapped under a collapsed under-construction tunnel got over late on Tuesday (28) as rescue officials brought all of them out.
The workers got trapped in Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarkashi in the northern state of Uttarakhand on November 12 when a section caved in. Modern machinery failed to reach the men forcing the rescue teams to resort to the outlawed rat-hole mining technique to penetrate the final 60 metres of rock to reach them.
Read: Anand Mahindra praises Arnold Dix over India tunnel rescue commitment
They were brought out on specifically modified stretchers that were lowered manually down a narrow pipe inserted into holes drilled into the rocks. Pushkar Singh Dhami, chief minister of Uttarakhand, met the workers as they reached safety and asked them about their well-being.
Read: Hopes revive as rescuers likely to reach 41 trapped workers ‘soon’
Prime minister Narendra Modi posted in Hindi on X saying the success of the mission was making everybody emotional.
“The success of the rescue operation of our labor brothers in Uttarkashi is making everyone emotional,” he said in his post, adding, “I want to say to the friends who were trapped in the tunnel that your courage and patience is inspiring everyone. I wish you all well and good health.
“It is a matter of great satisfaction that after a long wait these friends of ours will now meet their loved ones. The patience and courage that all these families have shown in this challenging time cannot be appreciated enough.
“I also salute the spirit of all the people associated with this rescue operation. His bravery and determination have given new life to our labor brothers. Everyone involved in this mission has set an amazing example of humanity and teamwork.”
उत्तरकाशी में हमारे श्रमिक भाइयों के रेस्क्यू ऑपरेशन की सफलता हर किसी को भावुक कर देने वाली है।
टनल में जो साथी फंसे हुए थे, उनसे मैं कहना चाहता हूं कि आपका साहस और धैर्य हर किसी को प्रेरित कर रहा है। मैं आप सभी की कुशलता और उत्तम स्वास्थ्य की कामना करता हूं।
यह अत्यंत…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 28, 2023
The administration was taking full care of the trapped workers by providing them with food, water, medicines and even counselling. Top officials including the Dhami and principal secretary to the Indian prime minister also visited the site to oversee the rescue effort.
#WATCH | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Chinook helicopter present at Chinyalisaur airstrip to airlift the workers after their rescue from Silkyara tunnel. pic.twitter.com/ZRFgM6VvDp
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023
Australia-based international tunneling expert Arnold Dix has been spending days at the site to ensure that the operation went flawlessly and was also found offering prayers at a temporary temple set up at the entrance of the tunnel.
Several ambulances were waiting for the workers and would rush them to the hospital for treatment. Beds were also kept ready for immediate treatment.
An Indian Air Force’s Chinook helicopter was also kept on standby to airlift in case any worker faced medical emergency, if needed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, located 160 kilometres away.
The under-construction tunnel is part of an ambitious all-weather road project to connect some of India’s most popular pilgrimage towns in the north.
