'Miracle': Tunnelling expert Arnold Dix says he will visit temple because...
Arnold Dix said he would have to visit the temple to say ‘thank you’ as that was his promise when the difficult rescue operation in Uttarakhand was going on.
International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix who was roped in for the Uttarkashi rescue operation on Wednesday said the mission witnessed a miracle and he would go to the temple as he had promised to say 'thank you' at the temple when the operation was going on. Hours later, Dix was seen offering his prayers at the temple of local deity Baba Bokh Naag ji.
Arnold Dix heads the Geneva-based International Tunnelling Underground Space Association and is also a geologist, an engineer and a lawyer. "It has been my honour as a parent to help out all parents in getting their children back home. Remember, I said in the beginning that 41 people would go home unhurt by Christmas. Christmas is coming early," Dix said.
Spelling out the secret of the success, Arnold said, “We were calm and we knew exactly what we wanted. We worked as a wonderful team -- the engineers, the Army the best are there to work with, all the agencies, the federal authority ...it was just a joy to be part of the successful mission.”
The mission was a challenging one, the international expert said. "What kind of challenges didn't we face? But everyone knew we were bringing those men home," he said.
As the rescue mission was lauded by world leaders, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese got extra happy as Dix is from Australia. "A wonderful achievement by Indian authorities. Proud that Australian Professor Arnold Dix played a role on the ground," Albanese posted on X.
"Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. But as an Australian, sir, if you're watching, it's been my privilege and my pleasure to show that we're fantastic at not just cricket, I love cricket, but we do other things as well, including tunnel rescue," Dix responded to PM's message as he spoke with ANI.
Arnold Dix was seen praying at the makeshift temple at the rescue site on Tuesday when the breakthrough was just a matter of time with the rat miners manually digging the way out. The photo created a stir on social media with commentary on faith. "When science and technology meet faith. International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix joins a priest in praying for the safe evacuation of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel, in Uttarakhand," BJP's Amit Malviya wrote sharing the photo.
