Fate of 8 workers trapped in collapsed tunnel unknown even after 10 days

Eight workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in the southern Indian state of Telangana since 22 February remained out of contact despite multiple agencies working to rescue them.

They were trapped when a tunnel section of the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal in Nagarkurnool area collapsed.

There were 50 workers inside the tunnel when it collapsed but 42 escaped. The fate of the rest was still unknown 11 days later.

Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy said on Sunday that the exact location of the workers remained unknown. He said the over five-metre-deep layer of mud inside the tunnel had made it difficult for rescue teams to determine their precise whereabouts.

Attempts to clear away silt from where the trapped engineers and labourers had been detected earlier inside the collapsed tunnel were intensifying as additional personnel and equipment was being deployed, media reported.

An unnamed official told the paper on Monday that a conveyor belt damaged by the collapse was expected to be repaired by Monday. Once operational, it would facilitate the removal of debris and sludge from the tunnel.

NDRF Commandant VVN Prasanna Kumar said on Monday that operation to save eight workers trapped following the collapse of the SLBC tunnel collapsed was are underway at full capacity, with around twelve agencies working around the clock to locate the trapped victims.

"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," said the National Disaster Response Force Commandant.

He further stated that both the Telangana and Central governments have deployed top experts from across the country to assist in the complex tunnel operation.

"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

According to the NDRF Commandant, approximately 300 personnel, including 100 NDRF members, along with SDRF, Indian Army, and Singareni teams, are actively involved in the rescue efforts.

"The main hurdle for us is the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), which is a 1,500-ton machine that got damaged inside the tunnel, causing a major problem for us," he said.

On Sunday, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel site to assess the ongoing rescue operation.

The rescue operation to save eight workers trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Nagarkurnool entered its ninth day on Sunday, as teams continue efforts to reach those stranded since the tunnel collapse on February 22.

Earlier on Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs visited the SLBC tunnel accident site in Nagarkurnool to assess the situation.

BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy stated that the accident happened due to the mismanagement of both the current and previous state governments, stating that negligence had led to the disaster.

Reddy said that rescue operations are underway and that the state government is responsible for the accident. He added that the state government neglected several issues, which has now put the lives of eight workers at stake.

"Rescue operation is underway, but the state government is responsible for this incident. They neglected several issues and started the work, because of which today, the lives of eight people are in danger. The state government should take responsibility for this incident," BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy said