17-day agony ends, 41 workers emerge from Silkyara tunnel

Uttarkashi: Rescue workers pulled out all 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel in a multiagency rescue operation that hovered between hope and despair for almost 17 days.

Union minister V K Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed the workers as National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) men brought them out through a steel chute that lined a 60-metre passage.

An ambulance with the first of the 41 workers left the mouth of the tunnel around 8 pm, about an hour after a group of rat-hole mining experts dug through the last stretch of rubble.

There was hugging and cheers as the ordeal ended. Outside the tunnel some people chanted “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” Ambulances which had lined up at the tunnel ferried the workers to a community health centre where a special 41-bed ward had been set up.

Before this, the workers were given a quick medical checkup as they emerged out of the steel pipe. CM Dhami said no worker was in a critical situation.

But the labourers will be kept under medical observation for some time before being sent home, he said. He said the youngest of the worker was rescued first.

A portion of the tunnel on the Char Dham route collapsed on November 12, blocking the exit of the workers who were inside. Food, medicines and other essentials were sent to them through a six-inch pipe pushed through the rubble of the collapsed portion.

Relief was felt far and wide. Over the phone, Jharkhand's Sunil, who was camping in Silkyara, spoke to PTI on the rescue of his brother Anil.

"Finally, God heard us. My brother could be rescued. I am with him in an ambulance on the way to hospital," he said in a choked voice.

As the rescue appeared imminent, families stationed in Silkyara were allowed inside the tunnel. 

Rat-hole miners' talent, experience come in handy for tunnel rescue

Rat-hole mining may be illegal but the talent and experience of rat-hole miners were used in the rescue operation to save the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain said that rat-hole miners did a phenomenal job by digging 10 metres in less than 24 hours.

"Rathole mining may be illegal but rat miners' talent and experience is being used," he said.

(PTI)