Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: The 17-day rescue operation in Silkyara tunnel successfully ended on Tuesday and all 41 workers were rescued from the collapsed tunnel. The 41 workers emerged from their entrapment in good health, while the rescuers gained widespread acclaim for their tireless dedication and determination.
Prime Minister Modi, in his message, lauded the resilience of all those engaged in the rescue operation, citing their remarkable demonstration of teamwork and humanity. Multiple government agencies deployed substantial resources round the clock in Uttarakhand’s challenging terrain, yet it was the rat-hole miners who achieved the final stretch. Munna Qureshi, the first responder to reach the workers, has been hailed as the hero of the operation.
Who is Munna Qureshi?
Munna Qureshi, a 29-year-old rat-hole miner, is employed at a Delhi-based company specializing in clearing sewer and water lines. He was one of the numerous rat-hole miners transported to Uttarakhand on Monday to assist in clearing the final 12 meters of debris.
Rat-hole miners became the final option in the rescue operation after the US-made auger machine, which malfunctioned, was removed from the tunnel. Rat-hole mining involves extracting coal by digging small pits, but this method was banned in 2014 due to its unscientific nature as a coal-extracting method.
Munna Qureshi recounted that on Tuesday evening, he removed the final rock obstruction and caught sight of the 41 trapped workers. Describing the moment, he mentioned, “They hugged me, erupted in applause, and expressed heartfelt gratitude.”
Monu Kumar, Wakeel Khan, Feroz, Parsadi Lodhi, and Vipin Rajout were among the other rat-hole miners who later joined the arduous operation and reached the trapped men. The men inside, who had been waiting anxiously for a breakthrough from the other side, burst into joy and lifted the miners in celebration. “They offered me almonds,” mentioned one of the miners. The miners remained there for about half an hour before the NDRF arrived to evacuate the trapped men.