<\/p>\n
After 17 days trapped inside a collapsed Himalayan road tunnel they were building, Indian workers described the horror of their ordeal, and the hopes and prayers that kept them strong.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were really scared, every moment felt that death was standing nearby,\u201d rescued worker Deepak Kumar told AFP<\/em> on Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were not sure whether our lives would be saved or not.\u201d The men were welcomed as heroes after being hauled through 57 metres (187 feet) of steel pipe on stretchers specially fitted with wheels late Tuesday, the culmination of a marathon engineering operation.<\/p>\n Draped in garlands of orange marigolds, they were greeted with wild cheers. \u201cI know it was a difficult moment for those inside and more difficult for families outside,\u201d said Ahmad, who comes from Bihar, one of India\u2019s poorest states.<\/p>\n \u201cBut at last we have come out, and it is the only thing that matters.\u201d His wife Musarrat Jahan, speaking to AFP<\/em> by phone from Bihar, said that \u201cno words\u201d could explain how happy she felt.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only my husband got a new life, we also got a new life,\u201d she said. \u201cWe will never forget it\u201d.<\/p>\n Previous hopes of reaching the men were repeatedly dashed by falling debris and the breakdown of multiple drilling machines, and the men spoke of how hard it had been to keep their spirits up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was not easy,\u201d Kumar said. \u201cAfter three or four days inside the collapsed tunnel, and the rescue team had failed to reach us, the reality is that our confidence and faith were at a low level.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe world is again beautiful for us,\u201d rescued worker Sabah Ahmad told AFP<\/em>, describing the heartache of hearing his wife\u2019s \u201cworried and hopeless\u201d voice while he was trapped.<\/p>\n\u2018Lost hope\u2019<\/h2>\n