Miraculous Rescue: 41 Workers Safely Freed From Tunnel After Harrowing 17-Day Ordeal

All 41 men who were trapped underground in a tunnel in Silkyara, Uttarakhand, have been successfully rescued after a 17-day operation. The rescue operation relied on the banned manual mining technique known as “rat-hole” mining after high-tech machines failed to penetrate the 60-meter rock that posed a threat to the workers. The extraction process took time to allow the workers to readjust to surface conditions, with a temperature of around 14 degrees Celsius.

The workers were brought out using specially modified stretchers that were manually lowered down a two-meter-wide pipe inserted into holes drilled into the hillside. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was present at the site, embracing the workers as they emerged. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) went down the pipe first to assess the condition of the trapped men and guide them through the rescue protocols. Each worker was securely strapped to a stretcher and manually pulled up through the 60 meters of rock and debris.

After their rescue, the workers were transported in 41 ambulances to emergency medical facilities set up in Chinyalisaur, approximately 30 kilometers away from the tunnel site. Upon the first workers’ emergence from the tunnel, they were welcomed with garlands, sweets, and cheers from the rescue personnel and those present at the site. Families of the trapped workers expressed joy at being reunited with their loved ones after 17 days of separation. The rescued workers also had the opportunity to speak to their families back home.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the courage and patience of the trapped workers and their families, as well as the bravery and determination of the rescue personnel. He tweeted in Hindi, “The success of our rescue operation in Uttarkashi is touching everyone’s hearts. I want to tell the colleagues who were trapped in the tunnel that your courage and patience are inspiring everyone. I wish you all good health and well-being.”

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, also expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation in a video message. Elaborate preparations were made for the rescue, including the presence of an Air Force Chinook chopper for emergencies and the creation of a green corridor to transfer the workers to the hospital in Chinyalisaur.

In the final stretch of the rescue operation, “rat miners” were brought in to manually dig the rocks in the 12-meter section after an American Augur drill had to be withdrawn due to debris and iron rods fouling up its blades. The successful rescue of all 41 trapped workers is being hailed as a testament to humanity and teamwork.