Telangana (National Times): The rescue mission to save eight trapped workers inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana enters its third day, with authorities fearing that the chances of survival are extremely low.
Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday acknowledged the grim situation, stating that despite ongoing efforts, the possibility of bringing out the trapped individuals alive is very remote.
“To be frank, their survival is highly unlikely. I was personally at the site, just 50 meters from the collapse, and we could see that mud has filled nearly the entire tunnel. Even after shouting their names, we received no response,” he said.
A team of expert rat miners, who played a crucial role in the 2023 Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel rescue in Uttarakhand, has now joined the Indian Army, NDRF, and other agencies in the rescue operations.
The trapped workers have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand. Among them, two are engineers, two are operators, and four are laborers.
Officials revealed that the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which weighs several hundred tons, was displaced by nearly 200 meters due to the collapse and water force, making access nearly impossible.
“Even if they are inside the lower part of the machine, how will oxygen reach them? We have been pumping oxygen and removing water, but survival under these conditions seems improbable,” Rao explained.
With massive debris blocking the tunnel, clearing the way may take another three to four days, even with all available machinery in place. The conveyor belt system is being restored to aid in removing the debris more efficiently.
The Indian Army, NDRF, and rescue teams are continuing their relentless efforts to locate and rescue the workers, but with each passing hour, hope is fading.
