New Delhi [India], November 29 : The Australian High Commissioner to India, Philip Green, expressed happiness on Wednesday over the involvement of Australian tunnelling expert Arnold Dix in the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation and said that "it's a matter of great pride."
"We are very proud of the fact that one of the people who was involved in this was our Professor Dix, an Australian from the University in Brisbanesomeone who has huge expertise in issues related to tunnelling and it's a matter of great pride to us that it's one of our national who has made this very big impact on this important event for India," he said.
He added, "The natural human reaction is to be relieved and delighted for these 41 workers and for all of their friends and other loved ones. We were all imagining how terrible it must have been in this appalling situation and their families wondering what their fates would be and how joyful we all feel and relieved that they are safe and sound & back in the arms of their loved ones."
Highlighting that Arnold decided to come to India for the operation without any help from the Australian government the Australian envoy to India expressed delight that Professor Dix had stood with India in tough times of crisis.
He stated, "To be honest, he chose to come to India of his own account. The Australian government wasn't involved in that. But we are delighted that an Australian stood forward at this time of crisis and that has been such a success. So, all credit to him."
He also went on to mention the India-Australia partnership and shared that Australia has nearly million people of Indian origin and called them as 'human bridge' between two countries.
He added, "We are building a much stronger partnership with India that is based on our very close strategic alignment at the moment. It is based on the fact that our economies are highly complementary and it is based on the fact that we now have nearly a million people of Indian origin living in Australia - what we call the human bridge."
All 41 workers who were trapped inside Uttarakhand's Silkyari tunnel since November 12 were evacuated safely on Tuesday evening.
On November 12, a section of the tunnel between 205 and 260 metres from the Silkyara side collapsed. Workers who were beyond the 260-metre mark were trapped, with their exit blocked.
Following the safe evacuation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the courage and patience of the trapped workers and their families, as well as the bravery and determination of the rescue personnel.
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