New Delhi: 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.

To celebrate the safe evacuation of the workers, locals distributed sweets outside Silkyara tunnel

During the evacuation phase, all the workers were successfully pulled out from the tunnel in less than an hour.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami greeted the rescued workers as they emerged out of the tunnel.

Meanwhile, soon after the workers were pulled out at sent to a makeshift hospital for treatment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and said that it was a “matter of great satisfaction” for him.

“The success of the rescue operation for our fellow workers in Uttarkashi is deeply moving for everyone. To those who were trapped in the tunnel, I want to say that your courage and patience are inspiring everyone. I wish all of you good health and a speedy recovery, the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi, further in the tweet, also said that it was incredibly satisfying that after a prolonged wait, the workers will now reunite with their loved ones.

“It is a matter of great satisfaction that after a long wait our friends will now meet their loved ones. The patience and courage that all these families have shown in this challenging time cannot be appreciated enough,” PM Modi tweeted.

On the other hand, to celebrate the safe evacuation of the workers, locals distributed sweets outside Silkyara tunnel.