Rescue teams working to save eight people trapped inside the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana have reached the accident site, but their search has yet to yield results. The workers have been stuck for the last five days, and despite reaching the end of the tunnel, officials have not been able to trace them, a senior official confirmed to PTI on Wednesday.
Officials were initially able to access just 50 meters from the tunnel’s endpoint due to debris and silt. However, rescue workers have now managed to move beyond this point. Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad told PTI, “A 20-member team comprising the NDRF, SDRF, and Rat Miners has reached the last section of the tunnel, but a significant amount of debris remains. They are now assessing the best way forward.”
Rescue operations continue amid challenging conditions
Officials have been making steady progress. “Earlier, they had only managed to reach 40 meters before the tunnel’s end. Yesterday, they exceeded that mark,” Gaikwad added. However, despite an extensive search effort, no sign of the trapped workers has been found. The Geological Survey of India (GSI), which has collected soil samples to examine the tunnel’s stability, has yet to submit a report. Experts from multiple agencies, including the Army, NDRF, Navy, and GSI, are coordinating their efforts while facing the constant risk posed by flowing silt and water inside the tunnel.
Rescue operations continue as teams work against time to locate the workers
Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted the difficulties posed by the SLBC tunnel’s structure, describing it as one of the most challenging tunnel rescues ever attempted in India. Experts consider this the most complex tunnel rescue mission in the country, if not the world, as there is only one exit and entry point. “This makes the operation extremely difficult,” he explained to reporters.
Despite the challenging circumstances, oxygen is being continuously pumped into the tunnel in an effort to save the trapped workers. However, no contact has been made with them since the incident.
(With inputs from PTI)