Munna Qureshi, who led the team of 12 Rat-Hole Miners, on November 29 saved the lives of 41 labours trapped in the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand. TheRat-Hole Miners team was called to Uttarakhand for rescue operation after sophisticated augur machine broke down during the rescue process. These miners risked their life to make what seemed to bean impossible task possible. After rescuing all of them, they said they did it for the country and didn’t want to be paid.
The Rat-Hole Miners, including Munna, Vakeel, Feroz, Monu, Naseem, Irshad, Ankur, Rashid, Jatin, Nasir, Saurabh and Devendra entered the tunnel and dug it manually to save the lives of 41 workers who were trapped inside after relentlessly working for 26 hours. Munna Qureshi is a rathole miner employed by a trenchless engineering services company in Delhi that cleans water and sewer systems.
Munna, while speaking to media persons after the operation, said that he will never forget the respect received from trapped workers. He said further, “I removed the last rock. I could see them. Then I went to the other side. The trapped workers hugged us and thanked us for rescuing them. I cannot express my happiness in words. I did it for my country.”
On November 12, the Uttarkashi tunnel collapsed, trapping 41 workmen inside. On Wednesday, November 28,
after 17 days of intense digging and labor, the rescue operation in the Silkyrara tunnel finally came to a successful end, freeing all 41 laborers in good health. The rescuers’ tireless efforts and unshakable perseverance won them praise. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that everyone on the mission offered a magnificent example of teamwork and humanity, and he applauded the spirit of everyone involved in the rescue effort.
Prime Minister Modi, in his message, lauded the resilience of all those engaged in the rescue operation, citing their remarkable demonstration of teamwork and humanity. Multiple government agencies deployed substantial resources round the clock in Uttarakhand’s challenging terrain, yet it was the rat-hole miners who achieved the final stretch. Munna Qureshi, the first responder to reach the workers, has been hailed as the hero of the operation.