All 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand tunnel evacuated after 17 days

The 17-day long wait for the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel of Uttarakhand finally ended on Tuesday.

All the workers have been evacuated by the rescuers following a gruelling operation.

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. I couldn’t 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 told HT.

Prior to the first evacuation, the personnel from the SDRF and NDRF had entered the tunnel with stretchers. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union minister VK Singh were present to welcome the workers.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari took to social media platform X to thank the agencies involved in the rescue operations.

“I am completely relieved and happy as 41 trapped laborers in the Silkyara Tunnel Collapse have been 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 endeavors of the rescue teams have yielded favorable results,” he said.

Celebrations erupted as locals distributed sweets outside Silkyara tunnel as trapped workers are being rescued from the tunnel.

A portion of the tunnel had caved in on November 12, with the debris falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel, thereby trapping 41 labourers inside the under-construction structure.