Rescue teams are working hard to free eight workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Telangana. The incident occurred on Saturday morning in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district. A section of the tunnel's roof collapsed, trapping the workers who had been working on the tunnel's construction. The collapse happened just days after work resumed on the tunnel after a long break.
Challenges in the Rescue Effort
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been leading the rescue operations, but the situation is tough. Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao stated that survival chances are low because the tunnel is filled with rubble, making it hard for rescuers to reach the workers. The team is using rubber tubes and wooden planks to move through the debris. They are also working to remove water that has accumulated inside the tunnel, but a 200-meter stretch of debris is blocking their way, making it hard to find the workers.
Progress of the Rescue
The NDRF has covered about 13.5 kilometers inside the tunnel, using locomotives and conveyor belts to help them get through. Sukhendu Datta, a deputy commander of the NDRF, explained that they reached the end of a machine called the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), but they couldn’t hear any responses from the workers due to the debris blocking the area. The team is focusing on clearing the water-filled section before moving forward with the rescue.
Who Are the Trapped Workers?
The trapped workers are from different parts of India. They include engineers, operators, and laborers from Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Jharkhand. Among them are Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, and Gurpreet Singh from Punjab. The others are from Jharkhand.
Government and Army Support
The Jharkhand government is monitoring the situation closely, with the state's Health Minister, Irfan Ansari, in contact with authorities in Telangana. The Indian Army’s Engineer Task Force has also joined the rescue operation, working with the NDRF and other teams to speed up the rescue efforts.
