Uttarakhand tunnel rescue highlights: ‘Will review all tunnels in state to avoid such cases,’ says CM Dhami

The over two-week-long strenuous operation to rescue 41 workers from the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand came to an alleviating end and the internet is all praises for Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix for providing all the technical support on the ground. Read more

It was no less than a “miracle” for some of the trapped workers, who were rescued from the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel on Tuesday night, as they felt death was near in the dark tunnel many times.

As they came out of the 800-900 mm pipe tunnel pushed through the debris, there was jubilation all around and many of the trapped workers told their family members that it was like Diwali for them. Read more

"As soon as I entered inside, all the 41 trapped workers shouted 'NDRF ki jai ho', they were all extremely happy. It was a little difficult to enter inside but we were trained very well...Three people went inside and then some SDRF rescuers also joined us. The first worker rescued was the oldest among them...It took us around 1.5 hours to rescue all the 41 workers..." one of the rescue personnel told news agency ANI.

"The news of the safe exit of all our 41 labor brothers trapped in the under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand is extremely gratifying. I appreciate all the labour brothers for their patience, courage and faith and express my good wishes. Relief and I express my gratitude to all the central agencies, army, international experts and state administration teams engaged in the rescue work," BJP president JP Nadda posted on X.

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The 41 workers who have been successfully rescued are being brought to the Community Health Center in Chinyalisaur for primary medical treatment.

Norway's Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, commended the rescue team in Uttarakhand after all 41 workers trapped for 16 days in a collapsed portion of an under-construction tunnel in Uttarkashi were brought out safely on Tuesday evening.

The envoy congratulated the families of the trapped workers on the successful culmination of the rescue operation that continued for over two weeks.

The Silkyara Tunnel is being built by NHIDCL on Yamunotri National Highway connecting Silkyara to Barkot. This 4531 m long tunnel will shorten the road distance by 26 Km and 45 minutes of travel time. The tunnel is designed as a single tube tunnel with two lanes divided by a vertical partition wall.

"The tunnel is being constructed in extremely weak rock mass constituting meta-siltstone and phyllites. The 15 m diameter of the tunnel makes its construction technically intricate. The collapse occurred between chainage 206 m at Silkyara End and spread to chainage 260 towards Barkot End," the Border Roads Organization said.

How the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation transpired in 17 days

November 12: Following a landslide at the Silkyara-Dandalgaon tunnel on the Brahmkhal-Yamunotri highway in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi, 41 labourers got trapped. A rescue operation was started to free them.

November 13: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the site where workers were trapped and established communication with them using an oxygen supply pipe.

November 14: Efforts involved bringing in 800- and 900-millimetre steel pipes for horizontal digging using an auger machine. However, further rubble caused minor injuries to two workers, hindering progress. Supplies of essential items like food, water, and medicine were ensured for the trapped workers.

November 15: Dissatisfied with the initial drilling machine's performance, the National Handloom Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) requested a more advanced auger machine from Delhi, airlifting it to expedite the rescue process.

November 16: The new drilling machine was assembled, and installation began, after which the operation commenced past midnight.

November 17: The drilling machine progressed around 24 metres through the rubble stretch but halted when the fifth pipe encountered an obstacle. Another high-performance auger machine was flown in from Indore to aid the rescue efforts. However, operations ceased when a significant cracking sound emerged from the tunnel in the evening.

November 18: Officials from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and experts devised five evacuation plans, exploring alternative methods such as vertical drilling to rescue the workers.

November 19: Drilling activities remained suspended. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari reviewed the rescue operation and emphasised the potential success of horizontal drilling with the auger machine.

November 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to chief minister Dhami to assess the Silkyara tunnel rescue operations and highlighted the importance of maintaining morale among rescuers.

November 21: Rescuers released the first video of trapped labourers in the Silkyara tunnel, showing them receiving supplies and communicating through the pipeline. Simultaneously, drilling began at the Balkot-end for an alternative tunnel on the Char Dham route.

November 22: Horizontal drilling progressed to about 45 metres, with around 12 metres of debris remaining. However, iron rods obstructed the auger machine's progress in the evening.

November 23: The obstruction caused by iron rods was removed, allowing for the resumption of rescue operations. Officials reported reaching the 48-meter mark but had to pause due to cracks appearing in the drilling machine's resting platform.

November 24: Drilling at the collapsed tunnel ceased as the auger machine encountered a hurdle, potentially a metal object, after resuming operations.

November 25: International tunneling expert Arnold Dix reported the auger machine used for drilling had malfunctioned, prompting consideration of alternative methods like vertical or manual drilling.

November 26: Rescuers commenced drilling into the hill above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel, needing to penetrate 86 meters to reach the tunnel. By evening, the equipment had drilled approximately 19.5 meters. Additionally, two BRO officials sustained injuries in a collision near the Silkyara tunnel site.

November 27: A group of 12 rat-hole mining specialists arrived at the site, initiating the manual drilling and excavation process to clear the final 10- to 12-metre stretch of debris.

November 28: Following the manual drilling, rescuers inserted a pipe into the tunnel, reaching the breakthrough point at 57 meters. This enabled the evacuation of the first worker at 7.56 pm on Tuesday, with all the other trapped workers emerging in good health.

₹1 lakh to be given to each rescued worker. Baukhnag temple to be rebuilt. Tunnels under construction to be reviewed: Uttarakhand CM Dhami.

In a challenging rescue mission in the Indian Himalayas, when heavy machinery faltered, a team with expertise in the unconventional practice of "rat-hole mining" stepped in. While augur machines made progress, skilled miners adept at navigating tight spaces played a crucial role in reaching and rescuing 41 workers trapped in a tunnel. After 17 days, the successful rescue occurred through a wide pipe.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi wrote on social media platform X: All the laborers who were trapped between life and death for the last 17 days in the Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarkashi have come out safely. Salute to each and every brave person engaged in the rescue operation. You have made the prayers of the entire country successful.

Labour brothers, get well soon. Many congratulations to his family.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, " I want to thank all the members who were part of this rescue operation...PM Modi was constantly in touch with me and was taking updates of the rescue op. He gave me the duty to rescue everyone safely anyhow.. without his support, this wouldn't have been possible. He spoke to me just now and instructed that medical check-ups of everyone must be done... and facilities must be done to take them to their homes..."

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami says, “They(workers) all have come out from a different environment and condition so we will do as per the advice of the doctors...first they will be kept under medical supervision, their monitoring will be done...no one is critical"

It's great news for nation that all our 41 Shramik brothers trapped in tunnel in Uttarkashi have been rescued safe and sound: Amit Shah.

Former advisor of PMO Bhaskar Khulbe says "All the 41 workers have successfully come out from the tunnel happily on their own feet. What could be a happier atmosphere than this?..."

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand sculpture by saluting the team for rescuing 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel, at Puri Beach, on Tuesday.

President Droupadi Murmu says: 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.

"It's a happy day. The entire country has been praying for them and our prayers were heard. I can't express it in words,' says a family member of a worker who has been rescued from the Silkyara tunnel, in Bihar's Arrah.

Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), Member, NDMA, says "...India has achieved this tremendous achievement under the leadership of our Prime Minister and the various organisations that he leads, the PMO itself, from where his Principal Secretary has been leading the efforts, who has been on the ground himself and spoken to the workers at some time also gone to each and every site of the options which were being pursued by all the disaster management authorities at that particular time...The only message which needs to be realised and communicated is, this has been all of government and all of India operation.."

PM Modi writes on social media platform X: 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.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says, "I am extremely happy that the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel have been successfully rescued. All the agencies under the leadership of PMO have worked day and night. I want to extend my best wishes to the workers who have been rescued. I also want to thank the workers who have helped in the rescue operation. A safety audit of the tunnel will also be done now..."

Uttarakhand tunnel rescue LIVE Updates: All 41 workers trapped 17 days ago at Silkyara tunnel rescued

Munna Qureshi, a rat miner from Delhi, was the first one to reach to the other side.

“I removed the last rock. I could see them. Then i went to the other side. I couldn’t They hugged us, lifted us. And thanked us for taking us out. We worked continuously in the last 24 hours. I can’t express my happiness. I have done it for my country,” he said. “The respect they (trapped workers) have given us, I can’t forget my whole life,” he said.