Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 28: The country heaved a sigh of relief as all the forty-one workers trapped in the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12 were evacuated one by one safely after 17 days of traumatic experience on Tuesday night.
Sources said three teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) went inside the tunnel to pull out the trapped workers. The rescued workers were draped in orange marigold flower garlands and were greeted by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister VK Singh. The trapped workers were pulled out through 57 metres of steel pipe on stretchers fitted with wheels.
On November 12, a section of the tunnel between 205 and 260 metres from the Silkyara side collapsed. Workers who were beyond the 260-metre mark were trapped, with their exit blocked.
“The process of rescuing the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel has commenced. So far, 8 workers have been successfully rescued. Initial health examinations for all the workers are being conducted at the temporary medical camp set up inside the tunnel,” Dhami said in a post on X after the first batch of workers were pulled out. The Chief Minister also shared an image where he can be seen with evacuated workers.
Soon after their rescue, the workers were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. Ambulance used to shift the trapped workers were provided “green corridor” to reach emergency medical facilities set up in Chinyalisaur.
According to Harpal Singh, the project head of Zoji-la tunnel, the exact time of the breakthrough was 7:05 pm. Senior officials said the rat-hole miners did a phenomenal job by digging 10 metres in less than 24 hours. “I was inside when the pipe was being pushed. When I saw the (trapped) workers, I came back. Now, it’s like an open road and anyone can come and go,” Balinder Yadav, a worker involved in the rescue operation, said.
On November 12, a section of the tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi, leading to debris falling within a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel, trapping 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure. Soon after the tunnel collapse, the rescue operation began, with rescuers, experts, government officials rushing to the site.
The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said he was “completely relieved and happy” as 41 trapped workers in the Silkyara Tunnel Collapse were successfully rescued. “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. Tireless and sincere efforts by everyone, coupled with prayers from all, have made this operation possible. The dedicated endeavours of the rescue teams have yielded favourable results,” he said. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for constantly monitoring the entire operation and “providing guidance and support whenever required.”
Munna Qureshi, a rat miner from Delhi, was the first one to reach to the other side. “I removed the last rock. I could see them. Then I went to the other side. They hugged us, lifted us. And thanked us for taking us out. We worked continuously in the last 24 hours. I can’t express my happiness. I have done it for my country,” he said. “The respect they (trapped workers) have given us, I can’t forget my whole life,” he said.