Telangana tunnel collapse: Day 5 of rescue, no contact with trapped workers

Telangana tunnel collapse: On Day 5 of rescue efforts, no contact has been established with the 8 trapped workers as teams battle debris, water inflow and silt

The rescue operation at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel in Telangana, where eight workers remain trapped following a collapse on Saturday, has entered its fifth day. Despite relentless efforts, rescue teams have yet to establish contact with those inside. However, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) managed to reach the last point of the collapsed roof on Tuesday, according to The Times of India.

 

Rescue teams continue to battle the last 40-50 meters of the collapse site, where accumulated water, mud, and debris have obstructed progress for four days. To navigate the conditions inside the tunnel, teams deployed thermocol boats to move through submerged sections, the TOI report stated. However, experts caution that the chances of survival for the trapped workers remain uncertain.

 

While reaching the collapsed roof marks a crucial breakthrough, persistent water inflow and silt accumulation continue to pose major challenges, further complicating the rescue operation.

 

Families cling to hope amid uncertainty 

The families of the trapped workers, including that of Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, anxiously await updates. Singh’s family, residing in Gurha Manhasan village near the India-Pakistan border, remains in distress, reported PTI.

 

“We have had no news about him for the last four days and are looking forward to hearing good news soon. One of our relatives, who is also working there, was the one who informed us about the incident,” said Sunny’s younger brother, Rajesh.  READ: T'gana tunnel: Rescuers reach accident location, unable to locate trapped

 

Singh’s mother added that while they spoke to him almost daily, they did not get the chance to talk on the day of the collapse.

 

One of the most difficult tunnel rescues 

Meanwhile, Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy described the operation as one of the most difficult tunnel rescues due to the tunnel’s single entry and exit point. He suggested that a tectonic shift or geological fault line failure may have caused the collapse.

 

Reddy also highlighted concerns about the safety of rescue personnel due to the continuous heavy inflow of water and silt. “The high-speed flow of water and silt into the tunnel is posing a serious risk. Some experts have warned that even the rescuers’ lives could be in danger. We are taking the best expert advice before proceeding further,” PTI quoted him as saying.

 

Political row erupts over the tragedy 

The incident has sparked a political controversy, with Opposition parties, including the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), blaming the Congress-led state government for negligence. In response, Reddy dismissed the allegations, calling it “disgraceful politics” at a time of crisis.

 

‘Rat miners’ join rescue efforts 

Experts from the Geological Survey of India and the National Geophysical Research Institute joined the rescue operation on Tuesday. Additionally, the specialised ‘rat miners’, who successfully rescued workers from Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel collapse in 2023, were deployed on Monday to aid the efforts.

 

Who are the trapped workers? 

The eight individuals trapped inside the tunnel have been identified as:

 

- Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas (Uttar Pradesh)

 

- Sunny Singh (Jammu and Kashmir)

 

- Gurpreet Singh (Punjab)

 

- Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu (Jharkhand)

 

Among them, two are engineers, two are operators, and four are labourers.

 

[With agency inputs]