Uttarakhand tunnel rescue: The 41 workers eat their first full meal

The 41 workers rescued from the Silkyara tunnel in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand ate their first full meal in 17 days on Tuesday night.

The men were brought out of the tunnel in wheeled stretchers through a 90cm (3ft) wide pipe. They were later taken to the Chinyalisaur Base Hospital in 17 ambulances where they were served food.

In the tunnel, the men had survived mainly on dry snacks like chickpeas, dried fruits, almonds and puffed rice and water supplied to them through a pipeline. Last week, they got their first hot meal in the tunnel when rescuers built another pipeline to send them bottles of khichdi (a rice and lentil dish).

Authorities confirmed that none of the workers were injured during the rescue operations.

Video by Nitin Ramola