Nitin Gadkari Relieved After Rescue of Workers from Silkyara Tunnel

New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said he is "relieved and happy" as all 41 trapped workers have been rescued from the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand.

"I am completely relieved and happy as 41 trapped laborers in the Silkyara Tunnel Collapse have been successfully rescued," Gadkari said in a post on X.

The 41 workers, who were trapped in the tunnel since November 12, were rescued on Tuesday evening.

The Road Transport and Highways Minister said that the government will do a safety audit of all under-construction tunnels.

"This was a well-coordinated effort by multiple agencies, marking one of the most significant rescue operations in recent years. Various departments and agencies complemented each other despite facing numerous challenges," Gadkari said.

He expressed gratitude to each agency and individual involved in this rescue operation as well as deep appreciation for the international rescue experts, administrative officers, and the Uttarakhand government for their swift and effective response.

"I take this opportunity to thank the Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, who has been constantly monitoring the entire operation and providing guidance and support whenever required. CM Uttarakhand Shri @pushkardhami Ji and my colleague Shri @Gen_VKSingh Ji almost camped there during the operation," he said.

Gadkari also expressed his gratitude to the officers and engineers of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for their sincere efforts.

The minister said that the ministry has learnt a lot of lessons from this incident. "We will also do a safety audit of all under-construction tunnels," he said.

Noting that the Himalayan geology is "fragile", Gadkari said the ministry will try to find solutions to the problems being faced there.