Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke over phone to workers, who were rescued from the collapsed tunnel after 17 days after the operation was declared a success. All the workers were present in a room and spoke to the Prime Minister over the phone.
The Prime Minister earlier appreciated the efforts of the rescue team to successfully and safely free the workers.
“The success of our brothers’ rescue operation in Uttarkashi makes everyone emotional. I want to say to the friends who were trapped in the tunnel that your courage and patience inspire everyone. I wish you all the best and good health,” Prime Minister posted on X.
I think I did well I think I did well है।
I think I like it, I think I can do that I think I did a good job रहा है। I think I did a good job. I think I did a good job
I think…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 28, 2023
“It is a great satisfaction that these friends of ours, after a long wait, will now meet their loved ones. The patience and courage shown by all these families during this challenging time cannot be appreciated enough,” the Prime Minister added.
Construction of the tunnel, part of the ambitious Char Dham project, collapsed on November 12.
The last op
The workers saw ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ after a massive operation by central and state rescue teams to evacuate them safely.
The success came after roller hole mining experts were called in after high-tech drills failed to clear the last few metres.
The rat miners broke through in Uttarakhand and dug the last 40 feet of land in less than 24 hours.
The operation to withdraw the workers started around 8pm today and all the workers were brought out on stretchers within about an hour.
The extraction process took some time to allow each worker to reacclimate to the surface conditions, where temperatures are currently around 14 degrees Celsius.
The workers were brought out on specially adapted stretchers; these were manually lowered into a two-metre wide pipe inserted into holes in the hill. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was at the spot and hugged the workers as they came out.
As soon as the first workers emerged from the tunnel, rescue personnel and people at the site welcomed them with streamers, sweets and cheers. Families of the trapped workers rejoiced after meeting their loved ones for the first time in 17 days.
The ambulances – 41 of them, one for each worker – left in batches from the tunnel site carrying the rescued workers to emergency medical facilities at Chinyalisaur, about 30 km away.