Silkyara Tunnel Collapse: President Droupadi Murmu praises officials for 'historic' rescue operation

President Droupadi Murmu praised the rescue teams for what she described as one of the most difficult rescue missions in history after all 41 trapped workers were evacuated from the collapsed Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening.

The President also praised the trapped workers for their resilience and thanked them for their service to the nation.

"I feel relieved and happy to learn that all the workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand have been rescued. Their travails over 17 days, as the rescue effort met with obstacles, have been a testament of human endurance. The nation salutes their resilience and remains grateful to them for building critical infrastructure, even at great personal risk, far away from their homes," President Droupadi Murmu said in a statement on social media.

More from India

"I congratulate the teams and all experts who have acted with incredible grit and determination to perform one of the most difficult rescue missions in history," she added.

All 41 trapped workers were rescued from the Silkyari tunnel in Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening. The successful evacuation followed several days of painstaking and tense recue efforts by several agencies.