PM Modi Speaks To Workers Rescued From Uttarkashi Tunnel, Hails Their Courage And Patience

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (28 November) spoke to workers, who were rescued from the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand after 17 days, over the phone after the operation was declared a success.

All the workers were present in a room and spoke to the Prime Minister over the telephone.

Earlier, the Prime Minister lauded the efforts of the rescue team to successfully and safely evacuate the workers who were trapped inside the under-construction tunnel on Yamunotri route in Uttarkashi district after a section of it collapsed on 12 November.

"The success of the rescue operation of our 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 are inspiring everyone. I wish you all well and good health," the Prime Minister posted on X.

"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," he said.

"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," the Prime Minister added.

A massive rescue operation was launched to safely rescue the workers.

The success was achieved as experts in role-hole mining were roped in on Sunday after high-tech drilling machines failed to clear the last few metres.

The rat miners made the breakthrough in Uttarakhand, digging the last 12-metre stretch in less than 24 hours.

The operation to pull the workers out began around 8 pm today and all the workers were taken out on stretchers in approximately an hour. 

The extraction process took some time to allow each worker to re-acclimatise to surface conditions, where the temperature is around 14 degrees Celsius at this time.