Survivor’s Tale: Jharkhand Worker Anil Bediya Shares Harrowing Ordeal and Miraculous Rescue

Anil Bediya, one of the 41 labourers rescued from a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand, shared his harrowing ordeal. Bediya, a 22-year-old worker from Jharkhand, survived by eating puffed rice and licking water dripping from rocks. The incident occurred on November 12 when a portion of the Silkyara tunnel on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed.

Bediya described the initial days as filled with despair and the fear of being buried inside the tunnel. He said they licked water from rocks to quench their thirst and relied on puffed rice for sustenance during the first 10 days. Bediya, currently recovering in a hospital in Uttarakhand, hails from Khirabeda, a village near Ranchi.

Fortunately, only three out of the 13 people from Khirabeda were inside the tunnel when it collapsed. Of the 41 workers rescued, 15 are from Jharkhand’s Ranchi, Giridih, Khunti, and West Singhbhum. The trapped workers’ rescue has brought immense joy to their families and communities.

According to Bediya, their supervisors advised them to drink water dripping through the rocks. It was their only option since they had to relieve themselves inside the tunnel. Their hopes of survival were restored when they heard voices from outside.

After enduring 10 days of anxiety, the workers received supplies such as fruits, hot meals, and water bottles. They prayed together, desperately hoping for a rescue. Bediya’s anxious mother had not cooked for two weeks and relied on their neighbors for food.

In Khirabeda, Shravan Bediya, who is paralyzed, celebrated in a wheelchair after his son Rajendra and two others were rescued from the tunnel. The rescue operation began on November 12 after a landslide caused a portion of the under-construction tunnel to collapse, trapping the workers inside.

(Note: This article is based on a syndicated feed and has not been edited by NDTV staff.)