41 trapped tunnel workers rescued after 17 days in India

The operation to rescue 41 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in India ended successfully on late Tuesday, November 28.

Furthermore, as was previously reported, the workers had been trapped approximately 260 meters deep within the 4,531-meter-long Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi during the early hours of November 12, after part of the tunnel caved in.

According to various news outlets, several drilling rigs were brought on site to dig a passage through the debris, but broke down.

The auger machines had successfully dug through three quarters of the way before failing, while the rest of the passage was opened by miners using handheld equipment.

It has been made known that doctors had been present at the collapsed tunnel’s entrance, as well as how all 41 workers were healthy and unharmed at the time of their rescue.

Uttarakhand state’s chief minister said that the workers will receive a 100,000-rupee ($1,200) compensation, while the company would be asked to allow the workers to go home and spend half to one month with their loved ones.

It is finally worth noting that India has been rapidly reforming its infrastructure, while this incident comes to be added to a broader list of such accidents, including two bridge collapses in August and June.