Uttarkashi tunnel collapse Highlights: PM Modi hails ‘courage and patience’ of all 41 workers

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said none of the 41 labourers rescued from an under-construction road tunnel in Uttarkashi district was in a critical condition.

Dhami also said the evacuation began with the youngest of the labourers. "All of them were fit and they crawled out of the passage on their own," he added.

Dhami said the labourers, who were trapped in the Silkyara tunnel for almost 17 days after a portion of the structure collapsed due to a landslide on November 12, will be kept under medical observation, before being sent home.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag expressed his happiness after all 41 trapped workers were evacuated successfully from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand.

"Where there is a Will, There is a Way. So thankful that all the 41 workers have been safely rescued. Gratitude to NDRF, SDRF, Army and all those involved in this incredible rescue mission. Jai Hind," Sehwag wrote on X.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the government will provide financial assistance of ₹1 lakh to all the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel. Instructions have been given to the officials for this. Apart from this, complete arrangements will be made for treatment in the hospital till going home, a statement issued by the Uttarakhand CMO noted.

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse LIVE: “Our 41 brave workers have emerged victorious today after 17 days, overcoming the uncertainty, darkness and biting cold of the tunnel under construction in Uttarakhand. Salute to all your bravery and courage. The day this accident happened, was Diwali, but today is Diwali for your family…Heartfelt thanks to all the teams involved in carrying out this historic and courageous campaign…,” Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and gave his best wishes on the safe evacuation of 41 workers from Silkyara. During this, the Prime Minister took information from the Chief Minister about the workers, said Uttarakhand CMO. 

PM asked the Chief Minister what arrangements have been made for the health care of the workers, for leaving their homes and for their families after being evacuated from the tunnel. The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister that after coming out of the tunnel, all the workers have been taken directly to the hospital at Chinyalisaur where their necessary health check-ups etc. Also informed that the family members of the workers have also been taken to Chinyalisaur from where the state government will make complete arrangements to drop them home as per their convenience, the CMO added.

The Chief Minister said that this rescue operation has been successful only due to the efficient guidance of the Prime Minister. He said that with the coordination of all the agencies of the Central Government and the State Government, we have been successful in evacuating 41 workers safely, the statement read. 

"The success of the rescue operation of our labor brothers in Uttarkashi is making everyone emotional.

I want to say to the friends who were trapped in the tunnel that your courage and patience is inspiring everyone. I wish you all well and good health.

It is a matter of great satisfaction that after a long wait these friends of ours will now meet their loved ones. The patience and courage that all these families have shown in this challenging time cannot be appreciated enough.

I also salute the spirit of all the people associated with this rescue operation. His bravery and determination have given new life to our labor brothers. Everyone involved in this mission has set an amazing example of humanity and teamwork." PM Modi tweets

“I feel relieved and happy to learn that all the workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand have been rescued. 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.” President Droupadi Murmu tweets

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and took update on the rescue efforts

Sweets distributed as trapped workers are being rescued from the Silkyara tunnel.

The workers will each go through an initial health checkup at a temporary medical camp set up inside the 13-meter (42.6 feet) wide tunnel, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.

The workers are being pulled out through a passageway made of welded pipes which rescuers previously pushed through dirt and rocks. The workers got trapped on Nov. 12, when a landslide caused a portion of the 4.5-kilometer (2.8-mile) tunnel they were building in Uttarakhand state to collapse about 200 meters (650 feet) from the entrance.

They survived on food and oxygen supplied through narrow steel pipes.

All 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12, have been successfully rescued. All workers are currently in the safety tunnel inside the Silkyara tunnel. The workers will be evacuated soon in the Ambulance.

"I was inside when the pipe was being pushed. When I saw the (trapped) workers, I came back. Now, it's like an open road and anyone can come and go," says Balinder Yadav, a worker involved in the rescue operation.

"My son had gone to work in Uttarakhand without informing us. When he comes back, we will make sure that he never goes out again," says Jharkhand's Charku Bedia, father of Anil Bedia (One of the workers who were trapped in the tunnel).

33 among the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12 have been successfully rescued.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami meets the workers who have been rescued from inside the Silkyara tunnel

Ambulances leave from the Silkyara tunnel site as nine workers among the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12 have been successfully rescued.

Uttarakhand CM Dhami, Union minister V K Singh enter Silkyara tunnel as trapped workers come out one by one

Micro tunnelling expert Chris Cooper says, "Three workers have come out. All the members of the rescue team are very happy..."

With the rescue operations nearing a breakthrough at Silkyara tunnel, residents from nearby areas gathered at the site to witness the evacuation of 41 trapped workers from the tunnel. Some people were shouting slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai' in acknowledgement of the multi-agency rescue operation going on for over a fortnight at the tunnel.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami meets the workers who have been rescued from inside the Silkyara tunnel

Workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel since November 12 are being rescued. 41 workers were trapped in the tunnel since November 12. They will be taken to the Chinyalisaur Community Health Center.

"Seven workers have been taken out, and the rest of them will be rescued soon: Rescue team member

Pipe pushing from one end to other of rubble done. Preparations on to bring trapped workers out of tunnel: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami.

The first worker among the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12, has been successfully rescued. The process of rescuing the remaining workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12. The first worker among the 41 workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand since November 12, has been successfully rescued.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been monitoring and taking regular updates on the well-being of two workers from the Kokrajhar district, who are among the 41 trapped inside an Uttarkashi tunnel, a portion of which collapsed on November 12, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) informed through an official release on Tuesday.

"Two persons from District Kokrajhar, Assam have been trapped in the Uttarakhand Tunnel. For the last 16 days, HCM Dr @himantabiswa has been constantly monitoring the well-being of the workers and the families in Assam," read a post on the official handle of the Assam CMO on Tuesday.

"Principal Secretary to HCM through DC (Kokrajhar) have been in regular contact with the respective families and authorities in Uttarakhand. We are eagerly awaiting their safe and healthy return," it added.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that her government has rushed a team to Uttarkashi to help the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel.

In a post on social media platform X, the chief minister said the team led by Rajdeep Dutta, Liaison Officer, Office of Resident Commissioner, New Delhi, will help evacuation and safe return of the trapped workers in the tunnel at Silkyara, Uttarkashi to their homes in West Bengal.

National Disaster Management Authority Member, Lt General (Rtd) Syed Ata Hasnain on Tuesday said that the entire operation to evacuate workers from the Silkyara tunnel will take 3-4 hours adding that they are not in a "hurry."

Addressing a press briefing in New Delhi, NDMA Member Syed Ata Hasnain said, "It is estimated that it will take 3-5 minutes to evacuate each of the 41 persons. The entire evacuation is expected to take 3-4 hours from the Silkyara tunnel after the breakthrough is achieved."

He further said that three teams of NDRF will go inside the tunnel to organise the evacuation. SDRF will provide support and Paramedics will also go inside the tunnel at the time of evacuation.

"All safety precautions will be implemented. No premature announcements are to be made, it will be against all principles. We also have to take care of the safety and security of the people who are rescuing the workers...We are not in any hurry," he added.

Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), Member, NDMA, says "...According to me, it will take the entire night to complete this operation..."

With the crucial work of laying pipes in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi completed, a temporary medical facility has been expanded inside the tunnel as part of rescue efforts to bring out 41 trapped workers.

The medical facility has been expanded for workers who will be evacuated. In case of any problem, eight beds have been arranged by the Health Department. A team of doctors and experts has been deployed.

All arrangements have been made to provide requisite medical attention to labourers after they are evacuated.

A Chinook helicopter has been kept ready at the Chinyalisaur airstrip to airlift the workers after their rescue from the Silkyara tunnel.

Rescue workers on Tuesday were close to breaking through the 60-metre stretch of rubble of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in which 41 workers are trapped for the last 16 days, officials said.

At the disaster site, state government's information department chief Bansi Dhar Tiwari told reporters a little after 1.30 pm that the drilling was “over”.

On Silkyara tunnel rescue mission, Vishal Chauhan, Member, NHAI, says," NHAI has again started the work of audit of all tunnels. We are working on this with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and one other agency."

Preparations for airlift underway at Chinyalisaur helipad in case of a medical emergency, following the rescue of 41 workers trapped inside the tunnel.

"There are 41 people inside (tunnel) and outside there are several people who are involved in the rescue work, safety and security these people are equally important. We are not in any hurry," says Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, NDMA member, on Uttarkashi tunnel rescue.

NDMA also said 58 meters of drilling done, about 2 meters more needs to be dug

We are near a breakthrough, not yet there: NDMA says on rescue of workers from Silkyara tunnel. Rescue workers on Tuesday drilled through the 60-metre stretch of rubble of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in which 41 workers are trapped for the last 16 days, officials said.

"The food (for the trapped workers) is being sent along with the ambulance. Aloo gobhi, roti, dal and rice is in the menu today," said Vikas Rana, Assistant HR at Hyderabad-based Navayuga Engineering Company Limited, the company constructing the tunnel.

Garlands brought to Silkyara tunnel rescue site in anticipation of early rescue of 41 trapped workers

As Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation enters final stage, AIIMS Rishikesh Assistant Professor Dr Narinder Kumar says, "The rescued workers will be brought here only if medical treatment requirements cannot be met in Uttarkashi District hospital. At AIIMS Rishikesh, there are 20 beds in Trauma Centre and a few ICU beds. If the workers are brought here, they can be given good medical care. A team of doctors has been constituted to be sent to Uttarkashi, if ordered by the state government."

The 41 workers who are awaiting rescue will be brought to Community Health Center Chinyalisaur for medical treatment after they walk out of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi

Preparations complete at Community Health Center Chinyalisaur for the treatment of 41 workers who will be brought here after they are rescued and brought out of Silkyara tunnel.

Rat hole mining is a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams, prevalent in Meghalaya. The term “rat hole” refers to the narrow pits dug into the ground, typically just large enough for one person to descend and extract coal.

Once the pits are dug, miners descend using ropes or bamboo ladders to reach the coal seams. The coal is then manually extracted using primitive tools such as pickaxes, shovels, and baskets.

Rescue crews successfully breached the 60-meter stretch of debris in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel on Tuesday in a big relief for the 41 workers who had been trapped for 16 days.

A senior official confirmed the completion of drilling.

The tunnel had been obstructed since November 12 when a section collapsed, trapping the workers inside.

Officials said that the evacuation process, involving pulling the workers out individually on wheeled stretchers through a 90 cm wide pipe, is expected to take a couple of hours. Before rescue workers can commence the evacuation, the pipe was pushed through, and debris is being cleared to allow them to crawl through and begin the retrieval operation.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel, equipped with ropes, lights, and stretchers, were seen at the entrance of the Silkyara tunnel, ready to reach those trapped inside.

Pipe-laying completed, workers to be evacuated soon, says Uttarakhand CM Dhami.

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse LIVE: Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami in a post on X said that the last pipe has been inserted following completion of drilling work and the workers are expected to be out soon.