Rescuing all workers safely topmost priority: Modi to Dhami on Uttarakhand tunnel collapse
Dehradun (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday, the second day in a row, to enquire about the operation to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel for 10 days.
In a post on X, Dhami said he told Modi that the workers are safe and the prime minister underlined that the rescue mission is the topmost priority.
This is the fourth time that Modi spoke to Dhami to take stock of the rescue operation since the tunnel collapse on November 12. He spoke to Dhami on Monday as well.
In his post, Dhami said Prime Minister Modi called again today and enquired about the operation being carried out to rescue the workers trapped inside the under-construction Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi.
He said he informed the prime minister about the successful insertion of a 6-inch pipeline through the rubble which will be used for providing food in larger quantities and other necessary items to the workers.
"Honourable prime minister was informed about the conversation with the workers through the endoscopic camera and their wellbeing. The prime minister said it is our top priority to rescue all the workers safely," Dhami said.
Earlier on Tuesday, rescuers released the first video of workers trapped inside the collapsed part of the tunnel. The visuals were captured using an endoscopic flexi camera sent in through the alternative 6-inch pipeline.
The camera was sent in after it came from Delhi late on Monday evening.
In the video, the workers, wearing yellow and white helmets, are seen receiving food items sent to them through the pipeline and talking to each other.
Rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since portions of the tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving the workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris.
Till Monday, a four-inch existing tube was being used to supply oxygen and items like dry fruits and medicines into the section of the tunnel beyond the rubble of the collapsed portion.
The Silkyara tunnel, about 30 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi and a seven-hour drive from the Uttarakhand capital Dehradun, is part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the central government.
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Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 100th Saudi Pro League goal
Riyadh (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 100th Saudi Pro League goal as Al-Nassr beat Al-Shabab 4-2 to move five points clear at the top of the table.
The 41-year-old forward converted a Sadio Mané cross at the near post with 15 minutes remaining to record the 971st goal of his career on Thursday. It was also his 26th league goal of the season.
“Ronaldo is always dangerous going forward and we saw that again today,” Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus said.
João Félix, signed from Chelsea in July, scored three goals for the league leaders.
The win took Al-Nassr to 82 points from 32 games, five ahead of Al-Hilal, which has three matches, one more than Nassr, left to play. Al-Hilal meets Al-Kholood on Friday and faces Nassr on Tuesday in what could be a title decider against its Riyadh rival.
“Now we have a derby match against our rival, which is a difficult encounter,” Jesus said.
“We are fully aware of its importance, and we are dealing with it with complete focus as we know that small details could decide the result.”
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has yet to secure a major trophy in Saudi Arabia since signing with Al-Nassr in December 2022.
