Dehradun: The country heaved a sigh of relief as all the 41 workers trapped inside Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi were rescued safely. After a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12, several state and central agencies had to be roped in for the rescue operation. Finally, on November 28, the operation ended with the safe evacuation of the trapped workers.
During the 16 days of rescue operations, the agencies faced several difficulties but they worked tirelessly without losing hope. The man who is seen as the savior for these workers is international tunneling expert Arnold Dix, who is being praised by the whole nation. However, Dix gave credit to agencies who were involved in the long-drawn operation saying without them, it would not have been successful.
Dix said that it is time for him to relax now that the workers have been rescued. "I'm feeling very satisfied and not in a hurry to go anywhere. I'm happy and relaxed. Had the state and central agencies not cooperated and worked in this manner, we would not have got success. We all worked together as a single big team and finally rescued the 41 workers from the tunnel," he said.
Dix also reminded that he had said in the beginning that all 41 men would be rescued and return to their homes. "We were less than 10 metres away but it was as if we were 1000 km away. Today, all the men are safe," he added.
Earlier former adviser to the Prime Minister's Office, Bhaskar Khulbe, who monitored the rescue operation at the site, praised Dix for his help. During the rescue operation, Khulbe had urged the rescue team to work cautiously and boosted their confidence saying the operation would definitely be successful. His words inspired the rescue team a lot.
After being evacuated, the 41 trapped workers from Silkyara tunnel were admitted to AIIMS, Rishikesh, where necessary medical tests were conducted. The test reports stated that the workers were healthy, after which, they were allowed to go home.
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