Rescuers working in mission mode to bring out trapped miners. A team from The Federal Telangana is at the collapse site, covering the rescue operations day and night
There is palpable anxiety and despair at the site of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse in Telangana, where operations are on to rescue eight trapped people including four workers, two technical staffers and two engineers.
It has been about 120 hours, and authorities are working tirelessly to reach them. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), the Army and the Navy have joined forces to execute the rescue mission.
A team from The Federal Telangana is at the collapse site, covering the rescue operations day and night.
Family members desperate
Family members of the trapped workers have gathered at the site, desperate for news. However, officials have restricted access to the tunnel, leaving relatives anxious and frustrated.
The eight personnel were working on the SLBC project when they got trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on February 22.
Challenges in rescue operation
The rescue teams face several challenges, including a 15-foot-high and 200-metre-wide mud accumulation inside the tunnel. Additionally, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) has broken down, blocking access to the trapped workers.
The situation is further complicated by the destruction of an oxygen pipeline, which has cut off fresh air supply to the workers. Without proper ventilation, their survival is at risk. However, authorities at the site expressed hope about bringing them out alive.
Late last night, a team of experts were able to reach the end of the tunnel and return, which presents some hope. “The collector has assured us that the workers will be rescued safely,” one of officials at the site told The Federal.
Families await answers
The trapped workers hail from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. Their families have arrived at Domalgunta, the nearest base, seeking updates. However, communication with officials has been limited, leaving them in distress.
Rescue teams have deployed specialized locomotives, heavy machinery, and hydraulic equipment to clear debris and reach the workers. The NDRF, assisted by hydra machines, is making another attempt to access the trapped men.
“The situation is critical, but we are trying our best to bring them out safely,” stated an NDRF official. Meanwhile, emergency medical teams stand by to provide immediate care once the workers are retrieved.
Uncertainty lingers
Despite assurances from authorities, the fate of the trapped workers remains uncertain. While rescue operations continue with full force, delays and technical difficulties have made the situation increasingly tense.
As sludge has started solidifying inside the tunnel, rescuers are planning to use sniffer dogs to locate the trapped personnel, District Collector B Santhosh said. The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) is expected to give their point of view today on the stabilisation of soil and other issues, based on which the action plan would be drafted, he added.
Also read | Telangana: Rescuers reach tunnel collapse spot; no sign of trapped workers yet
Santhosh also said the teams were able to reach up to the accident spot inside the tunnel using a thermal fishing boat. The team that reached the exact accident site last night tried to communicate with the trapped persons but there was no response, he added.
This happens, says tunnel company
Meanwhile, Jaiprakash Gaur, Founder Chairman of the Jaypee Group, the contracting firm of the SLBC project, said accidents may happen during difficult works. Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of the Jaypee Group, was awarded the contract of tunnel boring of SLBC.
Speaking to reporters at the accident site, after meeting Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, the nonagenarian said he had seen six or seven accidents during his professional career.
"In these difficult works, such things happen. In my life, I think there might be six or seven accidents, the Tehri (project), in Bhutan, in J&K, everywhere. You have to encounter all this," he said.
With inputs from agencies
