Video: Rescued Uttarakhand tunnel worker describes 17-day ordeal in first reaction
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Vishwajeet Kumar Verma is one among the 41 workers rescued from inside Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel through a collaborated effort of about 22 Indian government agencies.
One of the 41 rescued workers who were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in the Himalayas for 17 days has spoken to the media. Vishwajeet Kumar Verma, who was trapped inside the tunnel on November 12, spoke to the news agency ANI and detailed the ordeal he faced along with the rest of the 40 workers.
"When the debris fell, we knew that we were stuck. For the first 10-15 hours we faced difficulty. But later, a pipe was put in to provide us with rice, dal and dry fruits," Kumar, who hails from eastern India's Jharkhand state, told news agency ANI.
#WATCH | First exclusive byte of rescued worker, Vishwajeet Kumar Verma, who narrates his 17-day ordeal of being trapped in the Silkyara tunnel
— ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2023
"When the debris fell, we knew that we were stuck. For the first 10-15 hours we faced difficulty. But later, a pipe was put in to… pic.twitter.com/65X4afMVvB
"Later on the tenth day, a mic was installed and I was able to talk to my family members...I am happy now, will celebrate Diwali now," Kumar said.
Also read | Uttarakhand tunnel rescue is like the 'finest heart surgery' in Himalayas, says expert Arnold Dix
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The rescuers on Tuesday (Nov 28) pulled out all 41 workers who were trapped there for 17 days. The rescuers dug through the debris of rock and concrete after a series of setbacks.
The 4.5 km Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand state, about 400 km north of New Delhi, is part of ₹12,000 Crore ($1.43bn) Char Dham Highway Development Project, one of the flagship infrastructure programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. The project has been branded as a way to ease travel to Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Uttarakhand state as well as all-weather connectivity for the movement of military equipment towards India's unresolved international boundary with a territorially assertive China.
On November 12, the Silkyara tunnel caved into itself, around 200 metres from the tunnel's entrance from one end. Most among the 41 workers who were trapped there hail from some of India's poorest districts.
(With inputs from agencies)
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