In Photos: Hugs & Smiles as Workers Trapped in Uttarkashi Tunnel Taste Freedom

Rat-hole miners played a major role in the last phase of the rescue operation which lasted for 17 days.

A part of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district had collapsed on12 November, and rescue operations have been underway since.

(Photo: PTI)

A nation breathed a sigh of relief as 41 construction workers from across India, who were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi for over 17 days, were finally rescued on Tuesday, 28 November. 

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was present at the location to greet the workers who were rescued.

CM Dhami also congratulated the rescuers who had been working continuously for the past 17 days.

A part of the tunnel had collapsed in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on 12 November, and rescue operations had been underway since.

Rat-hole miners played a major role in the last phase of the tricky rescue operations. They were reportedly the ones who made it possible to manually push a rescue pipe into the blocked opening of the tunnel. They had begun manual drilling on Monday, 27 November. 

Munna Qureshi, a resident of Delhi, is one of the rat-hole miners who got the job done.

Nasir Hussain, who is also a rat-hole miner, said that they worked continuously for around 26 hours until the breakthrough.

"Manual miners played a big role in tunnel rescue operation. International experts were consulted on the shortest route for rescuing workers," Uttarakhand CM Dhami said.

The trapped workers were pulled out through a 57-metre long steel pipe that had stretchers fitted with wheels.

All the rescued workers have been taken to the Chinyalisaur community health centre where they are expected to undergo preliminary medical checkups.

Rescued workers spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone after they were successfully rescued from Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel. 

The Uttarakhand government will provide financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to each of the 41 workers who had been trapped in the Silkyara tunnel.

"Apart from this, complete arrangements will be made for their treatment in the hospital till going home," he was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Meet the rat-hole miners who successfully rescued the 41 trapped workers from the Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel.

"This was the first time such a mishap occurred. There is a lot we have learnt from this incident. We are going to conduct a safety audit of the tunnel, and also study how we could use better technology. Himalayan strata is very fragile and it is very tough to work there, but we will have to find solution," Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was quoted as saying by NDTV.