The extensive 17-day rescue mission in the Silkyara tunnel concluded successfully on Wednesday, with all 41 workers emerging from the entrapment in good health. The spotlight shifted to the rescuers, who received widespread praise for their unwavering dedication and resilience. Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the spirit of everyone involved in the rescue operation, commending them for setting an extraordinary example of humanity and teamwork. While various government agencies deployed massive forces in the challenging terrain of the Uttarakhand tunnel around the clock, it was the rat-hole miners, including Munna Qureshi, who played a crucial role in the final stretch, earning Munna Qureshi the title of the operation’s hero.
At 29 years old, Munna Qureshi is a rat-hole miner employed by a Delhi-based trenchless engineering services company specializing in clearing sewer and water lines. Alongside numerous fellow rat-hole miners, Munna was brought to Uttarakhand on Monday to tackle the last 12 meters of debris.
Rat-hole miners became the rescue operation’s last resort after the US-made auger machine malfunctioned and was extracted from the tunnel. Rat-hole mining, a method involving the extraction of coal by digging small pits, had been banned in 2014 due to its unscientific nature.
On Tuesday evening, Munna Qureshi successfully removed the last rock, revealing the 41 trapped workers. Describing the emotional moment, Munna shared that the workers hugged him, cheered, and expressed profuse gratitude. Following Munna, other rat-hole miners, including Monu Kumar, Wakeel Khan, Feroz, Parsadi Lodhi, and Vipin Rajout, reached the trapped men in subsequent efforts. The trapped individuals, who had been anxiously awaiting a breakthrough, erupted in joy, lifting the miners and even offering almonds. The miners spent half an hour with the trapped men before the NDRF arrived to take over the rescue operation.
