New Delhi: Days after the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation concluded successfully with all 41 trapped workers brought out, the team of rat-hole miners were hailed for working tirelessly for over 26 hours straight to manually remove the debris.
In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Munna Qureshi, the first miner to push past the last layer of debris to get access to the trapped workers standing on the other side said, "After I removed the last rock, I saw the trapped workers, tears rolling down their cheeks. I went to the other side. They hugged us and thanked us for taking them out."
Qureshi said, "I got a call from my partner Wakeel Khan and he asked me to join him in this operation. Just as I got the news of 41 trapped workers, I was determined to bring them out. There was nothing else on my mind. We were just concerned about bringing the trapped workers out as soon as possible. Our spirits got high and we said that even if we have to dig the entire mountain, we will do it to bring our brothers out."
He further said, "When we reached the site, we saw a machine stuck in the debris. We waited for the machine to be taken out so that we could start our work. But it took three days. After the machine got out, I assessed the situation and assured that the trapped workers would be out within the next 24-36 hours. I said this before entering the tunnel."
"We started the work of inserting pipes in the tunnel. The first pipe was inserted in 12 hours and other 5 pipes were inserted in the next 14 hours. These pipes would serve as a tunnel to bring the workers out. When I removed the last rock and reached the trapped workers, they hugged me and said 'You are like God to us. I can never forget the respect they have given us."
"We completed the task in just 26 hours and I couldn't express my happiness," Qureshi added.
Eight out of 12 workers involved in the operation including Munna Qureshi worked with Ikram Qureshi. Ikram explained how jack pushing or rat mining works. "Rat hole mining is a manual drilling technique with no machinery used. It is a technique where narrow pits are dug by skilled workers. I am extremely happy that my workers were able to bring the trapped workers out, something that imported machinery could not do."
"I am extremely happy that my workers were able to bring the trapped workers out. The boys risked their lives to save the trapped workers. The team has workers from Bulandshahr and Bakhtiyarpur. All these workers belong to poor families and work very hard to earn a living. I request the government to do the needful for them as they have made us all very proud," Ikram added.
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