Rescue operations continued for the third consecutive day in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, where eight workers remain trapped after an under-construction tunnel collapsed on Saturday.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army, and other agencies have been working relentlessly since the collapse of a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel.
Rescue workers are making extensive efforts to dewater and clear debris from the tunnel to reach the collapsed section. However, despite the deployment of advanced equipment, including endoscopic and robotic cameras provided by L&T teams, no breakthrough has been achieved. The tunnel remains filled with muck, making access to the front portion of the tunnel boring machine particularly difficult.
The same equipment was previously used during the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand in 2023, where 41 workers were successfully rescued after 17 days. Rat miners who assisted in that operation are now aiding the NDRF and the Army in the ongoing efforts.
According to officials, waterlogging and debris continue to hinder progress, with the final 40-meter stretch posing a significant challenge. The NDRF, the Army, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) are intensifying efforts to clear the tunnel.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is expected to visit the site later today to review the rescue operation, while Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy will oversee the ongoing efforts.
The tunnel near Domalapenta collapsed during excavation for the SLBC project, leaving eight of the 50 workers trapped.
The trapped workers include project manager Manoj Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), machine engineer Srinivas (Uttar Pradesh), and machine operators Sunny Singh (Jammu & Kashmir) and Gurpreet Singh (Punjab). The other four—Sandeep Sahu, Santosh Sahu, Anju Sahu, and Jagta Khes—are from Jharkhand.
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