India Rescues Workers Trapped For Over A Week

With how the world has been going lately, I know it feels like we never have any good news. But this time I do have some: Officials in India announced that they’ve rescued 41 construction workers who were trapped for over a week underground. The 41 men were working on the $1.5 billion Char Dam highway, which is meant to connect four Hindu pilgrimage sites and is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s prized projects. However, while digging through the Himalayas, the tunnel collapsed and trapped the men for 17 days. It’s unclear what exactly caused the collapse, but the mountainous region is well-known for earthquakes, floods, and landslides. The 41 managed to stay alive for so long because rescue crews drilled little passageways into the chamber and pumped in oxygen, water, and food. At the same time, crews were working around the clock to open up a passage big enough to get the men out. They tried various methods, but the one that proved to be the most effective — despite many snags along the way — was to just drill through the debris that was blocking the tunnel. Eventually a 3-foot-wide pipe connected the workers to the outside. Initial reports indicated that a wheeled stretcher was sent to them to help them out, But according to the chief minister of the local state, the workers preferred to crawl out on their own. That was a good indication of their health, as the minister added they were all healthy. Crews and locals celebrated each time a man came out of the tunnel, although the rescued workers didn’t get to stay long as they were sent away on ambulances to make sure they were fine. Reportedly, the workers are getting $1,200 for their ordeal. Which isn’t a lot, but at the same time these workers are from India’s poorest states and working a low-paying job. It ends up that the $1,200 is about equal to 6-months of the average salary in the state. So that $1,200 is actually quite a bit for them. (I vote they get more). The real kicker though is that the local chief minister had to ask that “the company that these 41 workers be allowed to go home and spend time with their family for 15 days, 20 days, or 1 month.” So there’s a chance they may only get a little time off for their troubles. But what if that was you? Would you be going back to that tunnel?

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Produced by: Ben Wheeler, Philip DeFranco
Edited by: Ben Wheeler
Art Department: William Crespo
Writing/Research: Ben Wheeler, Philip DeFranco
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#india #usa #modi

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