UP's workers rescued from Silkyara tunnel reunite with families, get rousing reception

For the locals of Motipur Kala village here, it was both Diwali and Holi on the same day when six workers rescued from Uttarkahand's Silkyara Tunnel reached their village to a rousing reception with aabir gulaal, fireworks and slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai.' As the six workers reached their village December 1 late evening, the locals welcomed them with garlands and flowers. They were greeted with bursting of fire crackers, candles, earthen lamps and aabir-gulaal (coloured powder used in Holi) was strewed in the air.

It was celebration all around with the youths dancing to DJ songs in an open area specially decorated for the occasion with some of them rejoicing on their own take of a popular Bollywood song as they sang "tunnel se aaya mera dost, dost ko salaam karo". As many as 41 workers were trapped for almost 17 days inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after a portion of it collapsed on November 12. They were rescued on November 28 after a multi-agency operation.

Food, medicines and other essentials were sent to them through a six-inch wide pipe pushed through the rubble of the collapsed portion. Rescued worker Satyadev's brother Mahesh who had reached Uttarkashi on November 16 told Rescued worker Satyadev's brother Mahesh who had reached Uttarkashi on November 16 told