Nagarkurnool, February 23, 2025 – Hopes are fading for the eight workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project, as Telangana minister J Krishna Rao admitted that chances of survival “are not that good.”
Rescue Operations Face Major Hurdles
The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and other agencies have been working tirelessly to reach the trapped workers, but no breakthrough was achieved on Sunday. Thick muck, tangled iron rods, and cement blocks have made navigation nearly impossible inside the collapsed portion of the tunnel.
Minister Rao, who personally went inside the tunnel, described the grim situation:
“Muck has piled up too high, making it impossible to walk through. Rescuers are using rubber tubes and wooden planks to navigate.”
While some workers swam to safety, no response has been received from those still trapped inside.
Water-Logging Complicates Rescue Efforts
The state government confirmed that 70 workers were inside the tunnel when it collapsed on Saturday morning, but most managed to escape using an internal train. The final 200-meter-long collapsed section has been flooded with water and silt, blocking access.
Rescue teams that waded up to the 13-kilometer mark called out to the trapped workers but heard no response. District Collector B Santhosh confirmed there has been no communication with them so far.
A rescue worker explained the technical difficulties they are facing:
“There is waterlogging 2 km before the 13.5 km point. Heavy equipment cannot reach the last point until dewatering is completed. Only then can debris removal begin.”
Officials Express Doubts Over Survival
Srinivas Reddy, general manager of Singareni Collieries, painted a bleak picture, saying:
“We inspected the spot, and water has filled up to 11 kilometers. There is little chance of the victims coming out, but we are trying our best.”
As rescue operations continue, families of the trapped workers wait anxiously, hoping for a miracle in what is increasingly becoming a race against time.
