Rescue efforts are intensifying to save eight workers trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana, where they have been stuck for nearly 48 hours following a collapse. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is pushing deeper into the tunnel to reach the workers, navigating treacherous conditions.
Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao, who ventured inside the tunnel, painted a grim picture to reporters, saying survival chances are slim due to the massive buildup of muck. “The debris is piled so high it’s impossible to walk—rescuers are relying on rubber tubes and wooden planks to move forward,” he told PTI.
The incident occurred early Saturday when a three-meter section of the tunnel’s roof caved in at the 14-kilometer mark near Domalapenta, Nagarkurnool district. The collapse struck an under-construction portion of the SLBC tunnel, just days after work resumed following a long pause. While some workers escaped, eight remain trapped.
Here are the top 10 updates on the ongoing rescue mission
- NDRF officials told ANI that teams are pumping out water pooling inside the tunnel, but debris is obstructing efforts to pinpoint the workers’ location.
- NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta said the team has traversed 13.5 kilometers of the tunnel, using locomotives and conveyor belts. “We went in around 10 PM yesterday to assess the situation,” he told ANI.
- Datta explained that the team traveled 11 kilometers by train, then covered the remaining 2 kilometers via conveyor belt and on foot.
- The final 200 meters of the collapsed section are clogged with debris, leaving the workers’ status and precise location unknown, according to NDRF.
- “We reached the Tunnel Boring Machine’s end and called out to the workers, but got no response. The 200-meter debris patch is blocking everything, and until it’s cleared, we can’t confirm their position,” Datta said.
- Between the 11- and 13-kilometer marks, water has flooded the tunnel. Rescue operations will ramp up once it’s drained, per NDRF.
- Both NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are struggling to access the collapse site. “The tunnel’s completely blocked—mud’s up to our knees. We’ll need a new approach,” an SDRF official noted.
- PTI identified the trapped workers as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas (Uttar Pradesh), Sunny Singh (Jammu & Kashmir), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab), and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu (Jharkhand). The group includes two engineers, two operators, and four laborers.
- Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari said he’s tracking the crisis closely, with four or five of the trapped workers hailing from his state. “I’m in touch with Telangana officials, and our CM Hemant Soren has spoken to Telangana CM Revanth Reddy,” Ansari told ANI.
- The Indian Army’s Bison Division Engineer Task Force from Secunderabad has joined the operation, per a defense release cited by PTI. “We’re collaborating with all parties to speed up the rescue and prioritize safely extracting those trapped,” the Army stated.
