Australian Envoy Honours Arnold Dix Who Played Crucial Role In Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue Ops

Professor Arnold Dix played a crucial role in the Uttarakhand Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, saving the lives of 41 men.

Australian High Commissioner, Philip Green, honoured Professor Arnold Dix at the High Commission in Delhi on Monday for providing technical support during the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation. Around 41 labourers got trapped when the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand collapsed. A team of experts, and heavy machines were called in to rescue them and the operation took 17 days.

Professor Dix played a crucial role in the tunnel rescue operation, saving the lives of 41 men. Australian envoy Green expressed pride in Australia's involvement in the successful rescue mission led by Professor Dix.

"We are enormously proud of him. He has played an important role in a vital rescue. It is a matter of joy for all of us that all 41 men are safe. It is a matter of great happiness that he was part of the effort to rescue them," Green was quoted by ANI.

While he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for the failure, Professor Arnold Dix stated that once they understand the cause, they can resolve it.

"I haven't done the forensic investigation of what caused it. From an engineering point of view, the support cast that we use failed, and I don't know why exactly it failed. I am confident that once we understand that, we can resolve it."

On November 12, a section of the tunnel between 205 and 260 metres from the Silkyara side collapsed. However, all 41 workers were successfully evacuated from Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel on November 28.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese commended the Indian authorities for the successful rescue operation that freed the 41 trapped workers inside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand. He also expressed pride in the contribution of Professor Arnold Dix, an Australian tunnelling expert, who oversaw the two-week-long operation, managing various challenges.

"A wonderful achievement by Indian authorities. Proud that Australian Professor Arnold Dix played a role on the ground," Albanese posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier, the Australian envoy expressed satisfaction that Professor Dix was involved in the rescue due to his extensive expertise in tunnelling-related issues, stating, "It's a matter of great pride for us that one of our nationals made such a significant impact on this important event for India”, he added.