India, Aug. 5 -- Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, August 5, conferred the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak on 12 rat miners who took part in the rescue of 41 labourers trapped under the collapsed, under-construction Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in November 2023.

The labourers had been trapped for 17 days under a collapsed portion of the tunnel before their rescue.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Gadkari, the road transport and highways minister, described the Silkyara rescue operation as one of the most challenging, saying it received constant attention at the highest level, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi closely monitoring developments and ensuring all possible resources were mobilised for the safe evacuation of the trapped...