In a recent incident, a part of the roof in an under-construction section of the SLBC tunnel collapsed at the 14 km point near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana. A three-meter section of the roof fell. This happened just four days after construction work had started again after a long break. While some workers were able to escape, eight workers were still trapped inside.

Rescue teams are working to save eight workers trapped in a tunnel in Telangana's Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC). The workers have been stuck for almost 48 hours. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is entering the tunnel to help get them out. Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao said that the situation is tough and the chances of survival are low. The tunnel is filled with a lot of muck, making it hard to move. Rescuers are using rubber tubes and wooden planks to get through the tunnel.

What we know till now

NDRF officials told ANI that the rescue team is currently working to remove the accumulated water inside the tunnel. However, due to debris blocking the area, they are unable to confirm the exact location of the trapped workers. NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta stated that the team has covered around 13.5 kilometers inside the tunnel, mostly using locomotives and conveyor belts.

He further said that, on the previous night around 10 PM, they went inside to assess the situation. The team entered the tunnel from the gate and covered 11 kilometers by train, with the remaining 2 kilometers traveled on foot and by conveyor belt.

The last 200 meters of the collapsed section of the tunnel are completely blocked by debris, making it difficult for rescuers to determine the condition or exact location of the trapped workers. NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta explained that they reached the end of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and tried to get a response by shouting, but couldn’t hear anything due to the debris blocking the way. The team won't know the workers' exact location until the debris is cleared. NDRF officials also said that the area between the 11 to 13 km mark is filled with water, and rescue operations will begin once the water is removed. Both NDRF and SDRF teams have faced significant challenges in reaching the collapsed section. An SDRF official said the area is completely blocked with mud reaching up to their knees, and further steps need to be taken.

The trapped workers have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand. Of the eight, two are engineers, two are operators, and four are laborers. 

Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari stated he is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant contact with Telangana officials. He confirmed that four to five workers from Jharkhand are trapped. Additionally, the Indian Army's Engineer Task Force (ETF) from Secunderabad has joined the rescue efforts, working closely with other agencies to ensure the swift and safe extraction of those trapped.

You might also be interested in - Over 2,900 people died in hydro-meteorological disasters in 2024