'Amazing example of humanity, teamwork': PM Modi lauds Uttarakhand tunnel rescue op

The mammoth rescue operation to evacuate the 41 trapped workers in the Silkyara tunnel came to an end Tuesday after a 17-day multi-agency drill. All 41 labourers were brought out of the tunnel in approximately an hour bringing a sigh of relief nationwide.

After several high-tech machines failed, the rescuers relied on the banned manual "rat-hole"-mining technique to drill through the nearly 60 metres of rock that threatened to bury the workers.

All the rescued workers have been taken to the make-shift hospital in Chinyalisaur for medical check-ups and acclimatisation to the temperature outside, which has dropped much over the last two weeks.

Lauding the effort, PM Modi tweeted: "The success of the rescue operation to evacuate our labourer brothers in Uttarkashi is making everyone emotional. I want to tell my friends who were trapped in the tunnel that your courage and patience are 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 said in a long post.

President Droupadi Murmu said, "She is 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 President posted on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "It is great news for the nation that all our 41 Shramik brothers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarkashi have been rescued safe and sound."

"Nation salutes their grit in facing such a challenging situation in the tunnel for so long," he posted on X.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, said: "I am completely relieved and happy as 41 trapped laborers in the Silkyara Tunnel Collapse have been successfully rescued."

Rat hole mining, a banned mining technique, made the rescue operation successful in clearing the last few meters after the operation was stalled after high-tech machines, or augers, failed to drill through the 60-meters of the collapsed portion.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had gone down the pipe first to assess the condition of the trapped men and guide them through rescue protocols.

Each worker was strapped to the stretcher that was then manually pulled up through 60 metres of rock and debris.