Telangana tunnel rescue operation: Over 10 days on, rescuers fail to reach breakthrough; No contact with 8 trapped

The rescue operation for eight workers trapped in a collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana is underway since Feb 22, with 12 agencies involved

Operation to rescue eight workers trapped after the collapse of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool has been going on for over 10 days now, with rescuers having failed to reach a breakthrough yet.

The eight persons, engineers and labourers, have been trapped since February 22.

NDRF Commandant VVN Prasanna Kumar said on Monday that 12 agencies are working round the clock to reach the trapped workers, adding that rescuers have not been able to establish communication with them.

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“Actually, the operation is going on in full swing. Approximately twelve agencies are working around the clock to find the victims. Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate them so far,” news agency ANI quoted said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Commandant.

He added that in order to help with the intricate tunnel operation, both the Telangana and Central governments had sent in top specialists from all around the nation.

“Due to the complexity of the tunnel operation, we could not achieve success so far. However, maximum manpower is engaged in a planned manner, and hopefully, we will get success in a short time,” Kumar said

CM visits site

On Sunday, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy visited the site to evaluate the rescue effort. A Revanth Reddy stated that the administration is working to speed up the rescue attempt and that the precise position of the eight people trapped within the partially collapsed tunnel of the SLBC project is still unknown.

After visiting the accident scene in the Nagarkurnool area, Reddy told reporters that once the broken conveyor belt is fixed, the rescue effort will pick up speed. By Monday, the silt-transporting conveyor belt should be operational again.

Also read: Telangana tunnel collapse: Whereabouts of 4 trapped workers located, says minister

“They (rescue personnel) are not able to come to a full understanding on where the humans and the machinery got stuck. They have a preliminary estimation but not fully,” he said.

According to him, the government is prepared to support the families who suffered as a result of the disaster and is committed to finding a solution.

According to the chief minister, it may take a further two to three days for the operation to reach a particular point, at which point the rescue workers would be able to explain the next steps.

Asked about the condition of those trapped inside, he said he can only speak on the basis of information provided by the rescue officials and it would be premature to make a statement on the matter.

BJP MLA, Payal Shankar, assured that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation and has extended all necessary assistance.

“PM Modi is in continuous contact with the state government and has sent all the help required. The rescue operation is underway. We hope that the eight people trapped inside come out safely”, BJP MLA Payal Shankar told ANI.