Telangana tunnel collapse: Rescuers inch closer to trapped workers

As eight workers got trapped around 14 km inside the tunnel of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project after part of its roof collapsed on Saturday, a rescue team made headway and reached the spot where a tunnel boring machine was working during the incident, Nagarkurnool District Collector B Santhosh said on Sunday (February 23).

However, silt poses a challenge to move further to reach the spot where the people are believed to have been trapped, he said. Oxygen and power supply has been made available in the tunnel and dewatering and the de-silting operation is also underway. "As of now, we don't have communication with them (those trapped). The rescuers will go inside and see, only after which we will be able to say something,” added the collector.

The collapse resulted in a 200-metre section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel being filled with debris, obstructing access to the workers, according to the Times of India. Also, water has accumulated between the 11- and 13-kilometre marks of the tunnel, further complicating rescue efforts. The collapse happened about 13.5 km from the entrance.

Water needs to be pumped out

The accident was caused by the slippage of a concrete segment used to seal seepage at the 14-kilometre inlet of the SLBC tunnel, which extends from Srisailam towards Devarakonda. Three teams of engineers and rescuers have assessed the tunnel’s structural integrity to ensure it is safe for rescue personnel to proceed.

Also Read: Telangana tunnel collapse: 8 workers trapped; rescuers call out names, get no response

These teams include members from the SDRF, Fire Services Department, and NDRF. Their evaluations are crucial in planning the rescue strategy.

The Engineer Task Force (ETF) of the Bison Division of the Indian Army has been deployed to assist in the rescue operations. A defence release said Army medical teams and engineers equipped with high-capacity pumping sets, armoured hoses, excavators, and bulldozers, are working tirelessly to clear the debris and facilitate safe evacuation from the collapsed tunnel.

NDRF Deputy Commander Sukhendu told the media that debris removal cannot commence until the water is pumped out. This process is essential to determine the exact location of the trapped workers.

Jaiprakash Associates, one of the construction companies involved, has initiated the process of pumping out water from the tunnel. This step is necessary before desilting can begin, as the tunnel is filled with debris that hinders movement.

Slush a deterrent

Telangana’s Irrigation Minister, Uttam Kumar Reddy, pointed out that the final 200 metres of the tunnel leading to the trapped workers is filled with slush, making it inaccessible to rescue teams.

Also Read: Six feared trapped as tunnel roof collapses in Telangana

He mentioned that authorities are considering three options: drilling from above, drilling from the side, or dewatering and desilting the area to reach the survivors.

Minister Reddy, who is camping at the SLBC project site and overseeing the rescue operations, hoped that the trapped persons would be saved by Sunday evening.

“I’m monitoring on a minute-to-minute basis. The government of Telangana is working with the Indian Army, Indian Navy, NDRF, and all other tunnel experts in the country to try and save the situation here,” he told PTI Videos.

He further said about 70 people were working in the tunnel when the collapse happened and most of them could escape and return by their internal train or locomotive there.

“But eight people have been missing since yesterday. We are hoping and praying that they are safe, and we are hoping and praying that we can recover them, retrieve them, and save them by this evening,” Reddy said.

Ventilation system kept open

The trapped workers have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh; Sandeep Sahu, Jagta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand; Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir; and Gurpreet Singh from Punjab.

Two of them are Indian engineers from the American tunnelling firm The Robbins Company, with the remaining being employees of Jaiprakash Associates Ltd.

Also Read: Will not move from this site: Uttarakhand tunnel rescue hero after spending second night on footpath

Officials have confirmed that the tunnel’s ventilation system remains operational, ensuring a supply of oxygen to the trapped individuals. The state government is consulting tunnel rescue experts, including those who managed the rescue of workers from Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel during a similar collapse last year.

Situation remains critical

On Saturday night, rescue teams reached the collapse site within the tunnel and attempted to communicate with the trapped workers but received no response.

Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad noted that a huge barrier of debris and mud prevents visibility beyond the collapse point. This suggests that the workers may be trapped deeper inside the tunnel. Efforts to dewater and remove debris commenced that night and are ongoing.

The situation remains critical, with rescue teams working around the clock to reach the trapped workers. The combination of debris, water, and structural challenges within the tunnel are hampering rescue operations.

(With agency inputs)