Telangana Tunnel Collapse: 8 Feared Trapped, Rescue Operations Underway

Telangana Tunnel Collapse: 8 Feared Trapped, Rescue Operations Underway

Rescue operations are underway in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district after eight workers were trapped following a roof cave-in of a tunnel on Saturday.

NDRF and SDRF teams have arrived at the site to do the rescue work.

The Army also acted quickly, sending its Engineer Task Force (ETF) to assist with the rescue efforts.

India Today quoted officials as saying that the ETF, which is reportedly an advanced technology setup, is involved in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations at the accident site.

Rescuers have said that a 200-metre section of the tunnel is filled with debris, preventing them from reaching the stranded workers.

Removing that blockage is key before their precise location can be pinpointed and a rescue mission can continue.

“Water has to be cleared out in the passage between 11-13 km of the tunnel and debris cleaning work cannot begin until water is removed,” NDRF Commander Sukhendu said, according to India Today.

The accident occurred after a bridge slipped at the 14-km inlet point of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel, towards Devarakonda, where a concrete segment was used to seal a seepage.

Telangana State Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was present at the accident site, said the government had hired experts for the rescue operations, including those who had helped with rescue efforts after a similar tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand in November 2023.

The victims comprise two engineers from an infrastructure firm, two operators from a US-based company, and four laborers from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for updates on the incident and on the rescue work.

The Centre would extend full support to the state for the safe evacuation of the trapped workers, he assured.

After construction work on the tunnel resumed recently, nearly 50 people along with the 200-meter-long boring machine entered the tunnel on Saturday morning. The workers are stranded 14 kilometers within the tunnel.

Rescue teams are also using drones to arrow the way ahead and look for possible threats since there is a massive pile of dirt settled at the site.

A 19-member team of experts from MPL had been sent to help out in rescue operations, news agency PTI quoted N Balram, chairman and managing director of state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Ltd as saying.

CM Revanth Reddy has been instructed to constantly be informed about the work being done in the tunnel for rescue by speaking to state officials in real-time.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Lok Sabha Opposition Leader, spoke to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy regarding the SLBC tunnel rescue attempts on Sunday morning.

He commended the steps taken, the vigilant watch, and the monitoring; and urged the government not to leave any stone unturned in trying to rescue the trapped workers.