After successful rescue operations at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with the rescued workers on Tuesday. He personally handed over relief cheques to them at the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre, as seen in a video posted by the news agency ANI.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, CM Dhami said, "I met all of them, they are healthy and happy. Medical check-up was done and there is no problem to anyone of them. They will be sent to AIIMS, Rishikesh today for further medical check-up. I gave Rs 1 lakh cheques to them as promised. Also, the rescuers, who went inside the tunnel for digging, will be awarded Rs 50,000 each by the state government."
CM Dhami expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his constant support and motivation during the rescue operation. He highlighted plans to rebuild the Baukhnag temple at the tunnel's entrance and reassess the tunnels under construction in the hill state. The Union government has decided to conduct a safety audit of the ongoing tunnel projects, as per Dhami.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the successful rescue operation, acknowledging the emotional impact of the incident. He saluted the spirit of the people involved in the operation, stating that their courage and resolve have given new life to the rescued workers. The Prime Minister interacted with the workers and commended the efforts of both the central and Uttarakhand governments, along with the rescue teams.
The 41 workers who were trapped in the partially-collapsed Silkyara Tunnel from November 12, were rescued after 17 days of effort and struggle by multi-agency rescue teams on Tuesday (November 28). Among the 41 workers, 15 were from Jharkhand, 2 from Uttarakhand, 5 from Bihar, 3 from West Bengal, 8 from Uttar Pradesh, 5 from Odisha, 2 from Assam, and 1 from Himachal Pradesh. Despite the challenging situation, essentials like food and medicines were sent through a six-inch pipe pushed through the debris. The entire nation sighed a breath of relief as soon as first visuals of the workers walking out from the tunnel surfaced. The workers are currently at the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre, where CM Dhami met them on Wednesday (November 29) morning.