India’s 17-Day Tunnel Ordeal Ends with Workers’ Rescue
UTTARKASHI, India (AP) – Forty-one construction workers experienced a happy ending when they emerged from a collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi, India, on Tuesday. Their rescue was a feat that involved a large effort by multiple agencies and thankful family members and government officials.
The rescue operation received an explosion of joy, firecrackers, and shouts of “Long live mother India” as the workers were greeted with garlands of necks from the officials. Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways in India, expressed his relief and happiness via a video on the X social media platform. He commended the well-coordinated and significant rescue operation.
A landslide on November 12 caused a section of the Silkyara Tunnel to collapse, trapping the workers. Despite their ordeal, the workers were provided with food, water, and light since the collapse. More than a dozen doctors monitored their health while the workers waited to be rescued.
What started as a straightforward rescue mission expanded due to several setbacks. However, rescuers persevered through these challenges. While the end was expected to be uneventful, about a dozen rescuers worked tirelessly to clear the rocks and debris. The trapped workers expressed their joy upon being spotted by the rescue team.
Following their rescue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised their courage and patience and recognized the mission’s example of humanity and teamwork. The tunnel the workers were building was part of the all-weather road connecting Hindu pilgrimage sites, despite concerns over its impact on the Himalayas.
The workers’ rescue has brought a sigh of relief and celebrations to a country that held its collective breath for 17 days. With prayers, medical assistance, and monumental effort, the workers’ rescue became a symbol of hope and triumph.
