Seventeen days of work to free 41 workers stuck in the Silkyara tunnel have left an indelible mark on the town of Uttarkashi in the state of Uttarakhand.
There were 41 workers stuck in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi for 17 days. Bhirendra Khisku was one of them. Outside, his wife Rajni and their three-year-old child were scared. This shows how long-term entrapment can be hard on people and their families.
As the rescue operation went on and big equipment had both successes and failures, a lot of people found it hard to keep their hope. Rescuers worked hard all day and night, and people worked hard to build roads on top of the mountain so that people could get to the vertical drill.
Cooks showed unwavering commitment by making food for the workers who were trapped. A lot of work from many different groups and rathole miners who had to dig through the rubble by hand led to the good news that all 41 people, including a father who was looking forward to seeing his son again, were safely saved, which made everyone feel happy.
After being rescued, the workers were given thorough medical checks and then sent back to their original places safely. Helicopters and other heavy machinery became common sights in Uttarkashi town every day, which led to a lot of talk about the fall of the tunnel. Local stories mixed mountain stories with thoughts on divine influence, leaving an indelible mark on the community.
Bad days: Rajni, from Banka in Bihar, waits near a police help desk. She is married to one of the workers who is stuck.
