Rescue Operation Intensifies in Telangana Tunnel Collapse Incident

Hyderabad: Rescue teams have intensified operations to rescue eight individuals trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district.

This marks the sixth day since a partial collapse occurred in the under-construction tunnel.

Multi-Agency Effort to Clear Tunnel

Rescue teams from the Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and specialized rat hole miners are working tirelessly to remove silt and debris. The teams aim to complete the operation in the next two days. Advanced equipment, including gas plasma cutters, is being used to detach damaged sections of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) to create an access route to the last portion of the tunnel where the workers are trapped.

Priority is Clearing Access to Trapped Workers

The main focus now is on clearing the debris and silt to ensure that the loco train and conveyor belt can reach the last point of the tunnel. Experts from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) are also assessing the situation inside the tunnel, studying whether the continued removal of silt might risk further collapse.

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High-Level Review Meeting Accelerates Rescue Efforts

A high-level meeting, which included military tunnel experts and state ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, concluded with the decision to adopt a concrete action plan to accelerate the rescue. The operation has now shifted to full-fledged dewatering and desilting processes.

Minister Optimistic About a Breakthrough

Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed optimism that the trapped workers would be rescued “very soon.” He mentioned that the government is working round-the-clock to ensure the rescue operation’s success, with new high-tech interventions and elite forces deployed to assist.

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“We are hopeful that a breakthrough will happen soon, as new strategies and reinforced support structures are in place to stabilize the tunnel pathway,” said Uttam Kumar Reddy. He also stated that the officials have been instructed to speed up debris removal and reinforce weak sections of the tunnel to prevent any secondary collapses.

Tunnel Collapse Causes Major Setback

The accident occurred 14 kilometers into the tunnel, and while the rescue teams have reached up to 13.5 kilometers, they have been unable to advance further due to a significant buildup of 7-9 meters of silt in the final 40-meter stretch. This, along with debris from the TBM and water seepage, has hindered progress in the past two days.

External Expertise Brought In

To tackle the challenges, the government has enlisted experts who specialize in tunnel construction in border areas, as well as those with prior experience in similar tunnel accident rescues across the country.

With these enhanced efforts, the authorities are hopeful that they can reach the trapped workers soon and bring them to safety.