The 41 labourers who had been stuck in the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse incident for around 400 hours were finally rescued on Tuesday. After being encouraged by the success of the operation, the rescue team raised the slogan of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ which echoed through the SIlkyara tunnel. People were also seen hugging each other out of happiness. The workers waited patiently for 17 days before they were finally rescued.
The 400-hour operation is India’s biggest rescue operation so far and saw various agencies, including international tunnelling experts, engaged in the mission to bring back the workers. Met with several roadblocks due to multiple machine snags and bad weather conditions, the success of the operation brought a huge relief to the nation and the family members of the workers who were anxiously waiting for light at the end of the tunnel.
#WATCH | Encouraged by the successful rescue operation, the rescue team raised slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ inside the Silkyara tunnel yesterday pic.twitter.com/JgbBbt7FJM
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with the workers on Wednesday morning during which he lauded them for their patience. The Prime Minister said, “17 days is not a short time, you all kept encouraging each other which is notable.”
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with the rescued workers at the site.
#WATCH | Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami oversees as workers who were rescued from the Silkyara tunnel are being taken to Hospital in ambulances pic.twitter.com/NDVR29KiqJ
— ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2023
ALSO READ | ’17 Days Not Short Time’: PM Modi Speaks To Rescued Workers, Lauds Their Patience
A 41-bed hospital has been kept ready at the Community Health Centre in Chinyalisaur for the treatment and care of the rescued labourers. As per PTI, a team of 15 doctors, including chest specialists, was deployed at the site. Around 12 ambulances were also kept ready at the site to rush the workers to the said health facility. All the hospitals in the district and AIIMS, Rishikesh have also been kept on high alert.
Earlier on November 12, a portion of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel, a part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed leading to 41 labourers being trapped inside about 30 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi.