The 41 Indian workmen who were rescued from a tunnel in the state of Uttarakhand after being trapped for 17 days are safe and recovering in a hospital.
They can be seen eating on their hospital beds and look to be in high spirits in a video distributed to the public.
On November 12, the workers became trapped within the tunnel after a piece of it collapsed owing to a landslide.
They were released late Tuesday evening following a massive rescue effort that overcame several challenges.
After rescuers extracted the last of the 41 men from the tunnel under darkness, there was a sense of national relief.
They were transported out on stretchers via a 90cm (3ft) conduit put through a debris wall that was blocking them in.
This pleasant ending occurred after a day full of excitement, as officials hailed a breakthrough in the rescue efforts.
Video footage of the workers coming from the tunnel shows them jumping out, smiling, waving, and shaking hands with others there.
There was elation among their colleagues and family members, many of whom had waited days outside the tunnel praying for the rescue efforts to be successful.
They were spotted garlanding the workers, hugging them, and giving them candy.
Chaudhary Lal, who was spotted kissing his detained worker son Manjit, told the BBC that he was thrilled and relieved to see his son.
“I’ve already lost one son in a construction accident.” “I couldn’t bear losing another,” he explained.
Dhanpati, Ram Sundar’s mother, informed ANI news agency that Diwali was celebrated in their hamlet on Tuesday, following her son’s safe departure from the tunnel, rather than on November 12 – the traditional festival day.
Many family members of stranded workers have complimented and thanked rescuers for successfully rescuing their loved ones.
Meanwhile, workers have spoken to the media about their experiences.
One of them showed ANI a video he recorded of his colleagues at Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre, where they were being examined.
The footage shows workers lounging on their beds, checking their phones, eating, sipping tea, and taking selfies. Some may be seen cleaning their teeth, while others can be seen conversing around a water station.
Satya Dev, one of the trapped guys, told the Times of India that it was “claustrophobic” within the tunnel and that getting out was a relief.
Chamra Oraon, another worker, told the Indian Express newspaper that he felt restless inside the tunnel and wondered when he would be hauled out.
On November 12, a part of the 4.5km (3 mile) Silkyara tunnel collapsed in. The tunnel is part of the government’s ambitious Char Dham project, which intends to connect significant Hindu pilgrim sites in the Himalayan state with two-lane paved roadways.
Environmentalists and neighbors have blamed fast building in the region, especially the Char Dham project, for earth subsidence, which they allege contributed to the tunnel collapse.
