In a huge breakthrough, rescue teams on Tuesday evening safely pulled out the 41 workers who had been trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel for 17 days. During the evacuation phase, all the workers were successfully pulled out from the tunnel in less than an hour.

The workers were greeted by their family members upon coming out. Locals in Uttarkashi also distributed sweets to celebrate the safe return of the workers.After being rescued, the workers were taken to a hospital for medical checkups in ambulances that had been parked outside the tunnel.

On November 12, a part of an under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot collapsed due to debris falling in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side. Forty-one workers were trapped inside after this incident. Soon after the tunnel collapse on November 12, the rescue operation began, with rescuers, experts, government officials and media persons rushing to the site.