DDA demolishes home of rat-hole miner who rescued Silkyara Tunnel workers

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday carried out a demolition drive at Khajoori Khas in the northeast part of the city. The house of a rat-hole miner, who rescued Silkyara tunnel workers in Uttarakhand in 2023, was among those razed.

According to reports, miner Wakeel Hassan was detained by the police during the demolitions. Hassan alleged that the DDA did not issue a notice to him before bulldozing his house.

"My house was the only thing that I had asked for as a reward, but the DDA demolished my house without any notice," he said.

Hassan said he plans to stage a hunger strike, along with his family, on the debris of his house until justice is served.

Last year, on November 15, Hassan and his team of rat miners were called to Uttarkashi to rescue the 41 workers trapped in the Silkayara tunnel. Hassan's team dug through the last stretch of debris, leading to the successful evacuation of workers.

Also watch: locals distribute sweets outside Silkyara tunnel as workers are rescued