Miraculous rescue: 41 workers freed from Silkyara-Barkot tunnel after 17-day ordeal

Miraculous rescue: 41 workers freed from Silkyara-Barkot tunnel after 17-day ordeal

Hummingbird News Desk

DEHRADUN, 28 NOV: In a testament to human resilience and coordinated rescue efforts, the harrowing 17-day ordeal of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand has come to an end. The daring evacuation marked by meticulous planning and unparalleled teamwork, unfolded with the successful extraction of each worker.

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The first glimmer of hope emerged as the first three workers emerged from the depths of the tunnel, brought out on specially modified stretchers. The methodical operation saw these stretchers being manually lowered down a two-metre-wide pipe, ingeniously inserted into holes drilled into the hillside.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took to social media to share the progress, stating, “The work of evacuating the laborers trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel has started. So far, 8 workers have been rescued. Initial health checkup of all the workers is being done in the temporary medical camp built in the tunnel.”

The rescue operation, characterized by its complexity, involved experts, personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), government officials, and other stakeholders. The challenging terrain and the urgency of the situation prompted the deployment of ambulances, one for each worker, ensuring a swift ‘green corridor’ to reach emergency medical facilities in Chinyalisaur, approximately 30 km away.

Expressing gratitude for the successful rescue, an official remarked, “We have been able to successfully evacuate all the trapped workers thanks to the brilliant rescue team.”

The tunnel, a crucial component of the Char Dham all-weather road project by the central government, suffered partial collapse due to a landslide on November 12. The workers found themselves entrapped behind a massive mound of debris, sparking a race against time to reach them.

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Mehmood Ahmed, provided insights into the challenging rescue efforts. “The last pipe has been pushed inside the debris to complete the escape passage work. The pipe was welded, and the debris muck was removed from the passage manually,” he shared, highlighting the unwavering commitment of rat miners who worked incessantly to drill the escape passage.

As the rescued workers undergo medical assessments and the tunnel’s entrance is cleared, this successful rescue operation stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit and collaborative efforts that can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

Image Courtesy@INet

Tags: #SilkyaraBarkotTunnel #Uttarakhand #41workersfreed #PushkarSinghDhami #NDRF

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