February 26, 2025 – In a major breakthrough, rescue teams attempting to reach the eight workers trapped in the collapsed SLBC tunnel have finally accessed the tunnel’s end, a senior police official confirmed on Wednesday. However, significant debris continues to hinder efforts to locate the missing workers.
Rescue Teams Make Progress
For days, the teams had only been able to reach 50 meters before the tunnel’s end due to large amounts of muck and debris. But on Tuesday, a 20-member team—including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and expert Rat Miners—managed to push beyond the 40-meter mark.
“A team reached the last points of the tunnel, but there was a lot of debris. They are trying to work things out,” said Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad. Despite thorough searches, the rescuers have yet to find the trapped workers.
Challenges and Expert Assistance
The rescue operation remains highly complex due to continuous silt and water flow, which poses a risk to the rescuers’ lives. A team from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has collected soil samples but has not yet submitted its findings on soil strength.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy acknowledged the operation’s difficulty, citing experts who believe it to be one of the most complex tunnel rescues ever attempted in India, if not the world. With only a single entry and exit point, the SLBC tunnel presents extreme challenges.
No Contact Yet, Oxygen Supply Ongoing
As of now, rescuers have had no direct contact with the trapped workers, though oxygen continues to be pumped into the tunnel to sustain them.
The workers became trapped when a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on February 22. Top experts from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, and other agencies remain committed to finding a way through the debris and bringing the workers to safety.
