Nagarkurnool:Efforts to rescue the eight workers trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana's Nagarkurnool collapsed on Saturday entered the fourth day.
To suggest the way forward regarding the rescue, the Telangana state government has roped in experts from the Geological Survey of India and the National Geographical Research Institute who have vast experience in tunnels.
Race Against Time in a Mud-Filled Tunnel
Multiple teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army and other agencies continued their efforts on Tuesday even as hopes of finding survivors receding fast. More than 72 hours after a portion of the tunnel collapsed, the fate of eight men, including two engineers and two machine operators, was unknown. The rescue teams had to navigate through thick muck, tangled iron rods, and cement blocks to reach the accident spot in the tunnel to extricate the persons from the partially collapsed tunnel.
Telangana Tunnel Collapse: No Significant Progress As Rescue Ops Enter Day 4; Experts From GSI, NGRI Roped In (PTI) Nagarkurnool District Collector B Santhosh on Tuesday said before taking any step forward stability of the tunnel has been taken into consideration even as dewatering is going on.
“As of now, we are not able to communicate with them (trapped). We are taking the advice of the Geological Survey of India and some other people. We are dewatering and going forward. But for the last 40 or 50 meters we are not able to go. We are taking the advice of GSI and NGRI. L& T experts have also come here,” the collector said.
He said the teams were able to reach the last fifty meters where the eight persons were trapped, due to accumulation of muck and debris. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy are expected at the accident spot today to oversee the rescue operations and make some crucial decisions, sources said.
A team of 584 skilled personnel from the Army, Navy, Singareni Collieries and other agencies along with central and state disaster response teams, have conducted tunnel inspections seven times, official sources said adding gas cutters to cut the metal rod are continuously working.
Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday said the chances of their survival are "very remote," and rescuing the trapped individuals would take at least three to four days, as the accident site is filled with muck and debris, making it a daunting task for the rescuers.
He also mentioned that a team of rat miners, who had rescued the construction workers trapped in the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023, has joined the rescue teams to extricate the men.
Moment of Collapse: A Near-Earthquake Experience
Glenn Menold, the TBM operator from Robinson, recounted the harrowing moments before the collapse.
“It was a normal morning. Water dripped from the roof as usual while we were laying concrete segments. We were close to breaking through the soft soil and reaching solid rock when I noticed the water flow increasing. I shouted for everyone to run. Moments later, there was a massive roar—like an earthquake. Mud and water flooded the tunnel. Some workers managed to climb onto conveyor belts and pipes, but those near the TBM didn’t make it out,” Menold explained. The collapse caused an impact that was felt up to 3 kilometers away, blanketing the tunnel in darkness and muddy water.
Anxious Families Seek Answers
The rescue mission, under ministerial supervision, saw Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy visiting the site on the third day. Alongside him, MLA Vamsi Krishna, Collector Santosh, and SP Vaibhav Gaikwad are monitoring the operations closely. Families of the missing workers are grappling with growing anxiety. On Monday, four families arrived at Domalapenta, seeking updates. Authorities assured them that rescue efforts were ongoing and directed them to relief camps for safety and support.
