The last of the 41 men trapped within a collapsed Himalayan highway in northern India were rescued on November 28, 2023. The men were trapped for 17 days and were commended for their courage and bravery while being trapped.
The men became trapped when a tunnel they were constructing collapsed, blocking their exit with 200 feet of broken rock, concrete, and metal. Rescuers managed to supply the men with food, water, and other essentials through a pipe that was drilled.
The workers were ultimately rescued by a team of “rathole miners”, who specialize in digging narrow tunnels inside mountains for coal. The miners managed a breakthrough in just over a day. The rescue was very emotional and the men were greeted with garlands of marigold flowers. Each of the rescued workers will be given checks worth 100,000 rupees ($1,200) and the minister of the Uttarakhand state, the state they were trapped in, plans to have the company give the workers time off to spend time with their families.