By Matters India Reporter
Dehradun, Nov 28, 2023: Indian President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 28 led the nation to rejoice over the evacuation of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after 17 days.
“I am relieved and happy to learn that all the workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand have been rescued,” the president said in a message after the workers were rescued by a combined operation of several agencies.
“Their travails over 17 days, as the rescue effort met with obstacles, have been a testament of human endurance,” the president posted on X.
The prime minister posted on X that he was amazed at the example of humanity, teamwork. “The success of the rescue operation of our brothers in Uttarkashi is making everyone emotional. 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,” he added.
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah said, “It is great news for the nation that all our 41 Shramik brothers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarkashi have been rescued safe and sound.”
All the workers were pulled out of the tunnel in approximately an hour. The extraction process took some time to allow each worker to re-acclimatize to surface conditions, where the temperature was around 14 degrees Celsius.
The men were evacuated safely by rat-hole mining teams of the National Disaster Response Force, in a mammoth operation that has made international headlines.
The rescue attempts succeeded two days after the Church in India prayed for the trapped workers.
“As a community bound by faith and compassion, let us unite in prayer for the 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand. May our collective prayers serve as a source of comfort and strength for the affected families, and may the rescue efforts be guided by wisdom and success,” said Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, on November 25.
Expressing deep concern for the well-being of the trapped workers, the prelate set November 26 for all Indian Christians to join hands in prayer for the swift and safe rescue of those facing the harrowing ordeal.
He stressed the power of collective prayer to provide strength, hope, and resilience during these challenging times.
He urged churches, congregations, and individuals to include the trapped workers and their families in their Sunday prayers, asking for divine intervention and the protection of all involved in the rescue operations.
The workers have been trapped in the tunnel because of a landslide on November 12.
The collapse occurred on a part of the troubled Char Dham road development project. The 4.5 km Silkyara Badkot tunnel is on a section of road between Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi district.
In a dramatic alliance, six highly skilled ‘rat-hole’ miners from Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi teamed up with the Indian Army to rescue the workers.
Renowned for their unparalleled expertise in navigating and digging through confined spaces, the miners were tasked with manually burrowing through the remaining 10-12 meters of rubble that separated the workers and freedom.
The ‘rat-hole’ miners started working after a team extracted the blades and other components of the auger drilling machine that had become lodged inside the 800 mm wide escape passage being built in the Silkyara tunnel on November 26, leading to suspension of the operation for several hours.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted that the government would make all efforts to protect the workers. “Heartfelt gratitude to all those who worked tirelessly to rescue those trapped in the tunnel. Commend the grit and determination of those who faced such adversity without giving up hope,” he wrote.
On successful evacuation of all the workers from Uttarkashi tunnel, NDRF head Mohsen Shahidi, said rescuing the workers was a challenge. “So many agencies were involved in the rescue operations…this operation happened successfully because of the proper coordination…”
Workers of the State Disaster Response Force engaged in the rescue operations said, “It is a big day for us today. All the workers have finally been rescued successfully. It was a very difficult operation. All the trapped workers are healthy and safe…”