A group of 41 men trapped for 17 days in a partially collapsed Himalayan highway tunnel in northern India’s Uttarakhand state was successfully rescued on Tuesday, according to India’s transportation minister.
The breakthrough came after a series of unsuccessful attempts, with a team of “rat miners” manually digging through the extensive debris that had filled a section of the tunnel on November 12.
Nitin Gadkari, the minister of road transport and highways, acknowledged the tireless efforts and sincere collaboration that led to the successful operation. He expressed gratitude for the collective prayers and the dedicated endeavors of the rescue teams, noting that their persistent work produced favorable results.