Uttarakhand tunnel case: Gabbar Singh Negi, the one who kept 41 trapped men's spirits up

Following the successful rescue of 41 people trapped for 17 days in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, the name of one of them has begun doing the rounds in media reports.

The man, Gabbar Singh Negi, reportedly played a stellar role in keeping the situation under control inside the tunnel as workers waited for rescue teams to reach them.

This is the third time that Negi, who hails from Uttarakhand, has faced such a situation, some reports said.

During the time the 41 men spent trapped in the collapsed tunnel, Negi taught his fellow workers yoga and meditation. That helped them stay mentally and physically sound.

Besides, he volunteered to be the last to be rescued. "'I am senior-most... I will be the last to come out...', he reportedly said to his brother.

He also took the lead in games such as ludo and chess, which played a part in warding off unhappiness among the trapped people, NDTV reported citing some of the rescued people.

After the rescue, Negi thanks PM Modi and CM Dhami, the company he works for, the Central government and rescue teams. “When we have you as the PM and people were saved from other countries, we were in our country and therefore we had nothing to worry about,” Negi told PM Modi.

Modi lauded Negi and one other trapped worker for their leadership and courage.

The workers were successfully evacuated in the evening of November 28 after a difficult 17-day operation during which the rescue teams had to face roadblock after roadblock.