Workers exit collapsed Silkyara tunnel after 17 days, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami announces review of upcoming routes

livemint.com:

₹1 lakh. The CM has also announced a review of tunnels that are currently under construction and assured that the Baukhnag temple would be rebuilt. An ambulance with the first of the 41 workers left the mouth of the tunnel around 8 pm, about an hour after rat-hole mining experts dug through the last stretch of rubble.

There was hugging and cheers as the ordeal ended. Some local villagers burst crackers. Outside the tunnel, some chanted “Har Har Mahadev", “Bharat Mata ki Jai", and slogans in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dhami.

“There has been a great success in the ongoing rescue operation in the Silkyara Tunnel, the work of pipe pushing has been done across the debris. Now preparations have been started to evacuate the workers safely," Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami tweeted as the workers began to emerge. CM Dhami and Union Minister VK Singh had interacted with the victims inside the Silkyara tunnel after their rescue.

The two lawmakers went straight to the Baba Baukhnag temple after the last ambulance had left. Chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi hai to Mumkin hai' rang out as the multi-agency rescue operation concluded on Monday evening. Locals were also seen distributing sweets outside the Silkyara tunnel as the rescue efforts continued.

They sang in praise of a local deity 'Baba Baukhnag' and offered prayers at a makeshift temple set up in the vicinity. The workers will now be kept under medical observation for 48-72 hours. A 41 bed hospital has also been set up at the Community Health Center in Chinyalisaur for their medical treatment.