"I Am Senior, Will Be Last": Rescued Tunnel Worker Gabbar Singh's Brave Words

That all 41 survived the disaster with few injuries, and emerged with big smiles, is due, in no small part, to the effort of Gabbar Negi in keeping a potentially catastrophic situation under control.

The 41 workers freed from the collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel late Tuesday night endured 17 days in an underground prison - a circumstance guaranteed to test the resolve of most people, and which called for a strong leadership figure to help the trapped labourers stay calm and work together.

That figure was Gabbar Singh Negi - who was born 260 km away, in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district - and had the unfortunate distinction of having been in tunnel collapses thrice before.

Over the 400+ hours the men spent buried - nearly 200 feet in the ground - Gabbar Singh Negi taught his colleagues yoga and meditation, ensured they stayed physically and mentally active, and underlined his commitment to their safety by telling them he would be the last to be rescued.