In Telangana, rescue teams continue their efforts to save eight workers trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel for over 40 hours. Rescuers have yet to reach the stranded workers despite intensified operations, including the deployment of robotic and endoscopic cameras.
40 Hours On, Rescue Efforts Intensify for 8 Trapped Workers in Telangana Tunnel
The tunnel collapse that occurred on February 22, has created challenges for the rescue teams. A three-meter section of the roof collapsed at the 14-km mark near Domalapenta, just days following work resumed after a long break. Several workers managed to escape, eight remain trapped.
Authorities have deployed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and even a team of expert rat miners who previously rescued workers from Uttarakhand’s Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in 2023 to navigate the debris-filled site.
#WATCH | Nagarkurnool, Telangana | Visuals from Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel where rescue operation is underway to rescue the workers trapped inside the tunnel after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on 22nd February.
Endoscopic and robotic cameras have also been… pic.twitter.com/N0XDxHKNN4
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2025
Survival Chance ‘Very Remote’: Telangana Minister
Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said that the chances of survival in the tunnel are very low. He said, “To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote. Because, I myself went up to the end, almost just 50 meters short (of the mishap site). When we took photographs, the end (of the tunnel) was visible. And out of the 9 meter diameter (of the tunnel)–almost 30 feet, out of that 30 feet, mud has piled up to 25 feet”.
“Dewatering is being done. The Indian Army, along with NDRF and SDRF, is inside with additional equipment. Yesterday, they could not reach the last 40 meters, and now necessary measures are being taken,” said Nagar Kurnool district collector B Santhosh.
Difficult Rescue Operation
In the visuals from the site show rescue teams can be seen working in knee-deep mud as they attempt to clear a path. The collapsed portion has made access nearly impossible, forcing authorities to consider alternative approaches.
An SDRF official said, “There’s no chance to reach the spot inside the tunnel. It has completely collapsed, and mud is knee-deep. We need an alternative approach”. Rescuers have been calling out their names in a bid to locate the missing workers, hoping for a response, as internal communication remains cut off.
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