After a 17-day struggle, all 41 laborers stuck several meters within a tunnel in Uttarakhand's Silkyara were freed late Tuesday (November 28, 2023). The rescue operation came to a close when the last worker emerged from the tunnel on a specially constructed stretcher. Indian servicemen were greeted with loud cheers and chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai" (long live mother India) as rescuers successfully carried out all 41 from the collapsed Himalayan road tunnel where they had been imprisoned for 17 days.

The stretcher was lowered into a two-metre-deep dug shaft with a pipe inserted to keep it stable and decrease the risks of debris falling and impeding the laborious rescue attempt, which included international assistance. After the drilling was completed and all checks were completed, several members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which was assigned with the rescue attempt, descended down the pipe to meet the workers.They encountered the stranded, dehydrated, and exhausted soldiers within the tunnel and led them to the pipe and ultimate rescue.The adapted stretcher was physically hauled by another crew on the other side, and each worker was carried out one by one, much to the delight and excitement of those engaged in their rescue as well as the 140 crore Indians praying for their safety.

Earlier in the day, Lt General (Rtd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), delivered an update on the rescue operations, indicating that the teams were near to a breakthrough after working relentlessly for the previous 17 days. During a news conference in New Delhi, Hasnain stated that rat-hole mining professionals had reached the 58-metre milestone, with only roughly two more meters to go before reaching the terminus.Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, was present inside the tunnel to monitor the rescue attempt. General Vijay Kumar Singh (retd), India's Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, was also on hand. They hailed each soldier as they emerged from the pipe. The state administration prepared 41 ambulances, one for each worker, to transport them to a medical hospital in Chinyalisaur, some 30 kilometres away, for a thorough examination.

CM Dhami also informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the rescue and relief activities. PM Modi stressed the need of protecting the safety of both trapped workers and rescue crews. It brings us great delight to know that, after such a long wait, our friends will be reunited with their families. All of these families' patience and bravery during this tough time cannot be stressed!