Telangana: In the heart of Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, a desperate rescue operation is underway after a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on Saturday, trapping eight workers. The incident occurred just days after construction resumed following a long suspension. As the rescue teams face daunting challenges, including debris-filled passages and flooded sections, the chances of survival for the trapped workers are rapidly diminishing.
Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao has expressed grave concerns about the situation, stating that the survival chances are “very remote” due to the extensive debris and mud inside the tunnel. A team of experts who successfully rescued workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand has joined the rescue efforts, bringing specialized skills to the operation.
The trapped workers include Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand. Among them are two engineers, two operators, and four laborers. Despite the deployment of advanced technology, including endoscopic and robotic cameras, and the assistance of the Indian Army and NDRF, no breakthrough has been achieved yet.
Minister Rao emphasized that the rescue process could take at least three to four days due to the complexity of the situation. The rescue teams are working tirelessly to clear debris and provide oxygen to the trapped area, but the absence of any response from the workers has heightened concerns about their safety.
