All 41 construction workers trapped inside a tunnel that collapsed in the Himalayas after a Nov. 12 landslide have finally been rescued, authorities said Tuesday.
“The happiness on the faces of the workers and their families is the biggest inspiration for me,” said Pushkar Singh Dham, chief minister of the state of Uttarakhand, where the construction was taking place, in a postshared on X(formerly known as Twitter).
“It is a matter of great joy for all of us that all the 41 workers trapped in the tunnel under construction in Silkyara (Uttarakashi) have been rescued safely. Initial health checkup of all the labor brothers is being done in the temporary medical camp,” he continued.
Rescuers drilled through rock and concrete to reach the workers, with the evacuation beginning more than six hours later after they broke through the debris, perReuters. The workers were then freed after 17 days stuck in the collapsed construction site.
UTTARAKAHAND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT/HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Jyotish Basumatary, a brother of worker Sanjay Basumatary, toldThe New York Times: “I will accompany Sanjay when he gets out. I feel at peace at the moment. We feel energized and happy to be told the ordeal will be over soon.”
According toCNN, initial rescue attempts were hampered when the heavy machinery needed to drill through the debris broke down, prompting the rescuers to dig using their hands. When the drilling was finished, CNN added, a large pipe was brought in through the exit shaft’s last portion so the trapped workers could finally evacuate.
“I feel relieved and happy to learn that all the workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand have been rescued,” Droupadi Murmu, the president of India,posted on X.
She continued, “Their travails over 17 days, as the rescue effort met with obstacles, have been a testament of human endurance. The nation salutes their resilience and remains grateful to them for building critical infrastructure, even at great personal risk, far away from their homes. I congratulate the teams and all experts who have acted with incredible grit and determination to perform one of the most difficult rescue missions in history.”
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Dham alsosaid on Xthat the rescue operation “became a wonderful example of humanity and teamwork.”
A majority of the trapped workers hailed from some of India’s poorer states,theTimesreported, with their relatives saying that the workers made about $250 a month.
source: people.com
