BJP MP and Union MoS for Roads and Transport V K Singh shared insights on the \"extraordinary\" rescue operation carried out to save 41 labourers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.
Speaking out about the challenging multi-agency effort, Singh highlighted the difficulties faced by the rescuers, while also mentioning the exceptional \"bravery and cooperation\" displayed by the trapped workers throughout the ordeal.
Addressing reporters here, he recounted the \"unprecedented scale\" of the rescue operation. \"The successful rescue of all the labourers marked a remarkable accomplishment for the teams involved,\" he said emphasising that various essentials, including nail cutters, immersion rods, blankets, clothes, and recreational items, were provided to the trapped labourers through a small pipe when they were in the tunnel.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami closely monitored the rescue operation, with specialists from India and abroad overseeing the digging work, Singh said.
When the auger machine was stuck, the decision of vertical drilling and drilling by magnesium machine was taken, but it was postponed because the temperature of the magnesium machine is around 8,000 degrees Celsius, which could have melted the pipe, he said.
Singh lauded the expertise and precision of the rat mining specialists, who successfully conducted a 12-meter digging operation, ultimately ensuring the safe rescue of all trapped individuals.