Telangana Tunnel Accident: 11 km Flooded, Silkyara Team Rescuing 8 People, Minister Says Survival Chances Low
Nagarkurnool, 24 February – (www.deccanlive.com): A section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district collapsed on February 22, trapping 8 workers inside. The rescue operation has entered its third day on Monday.
The Army, NDRF, SDRF, and other state agencies are working together to save the trapped workers. The team that successfully rescued 41 people from the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand (2023) has also joined the operation.
Challenges in the Rescue Mission
Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao stated that the accident occurred 13 km inside the tunnel. The rescue team is now 100 meters away from the trapped workers, but progress is slow due to water and mud inside the tunnel. The chances of survival are low, but efforts are ongoing.
Advanced Technology Used in the Operation
To assist in the rescue, endoscopic and robotic cameras have been deployed inside the tunnel. Additionally, NDRF dog squads are being used to locate the trapped workers.
L&T’s endoscopic operator, Dovdeep, stated that endoscopic cameras are being used to monitor the situation inside the tunnel. Similar technology was used during the Uttarakhand rescue operation.
Massive Rescue Operation Underway
A total of 145 NDRF and 120 SDRF personnel, along with an Army engineering regiment from Secunderabad, are involved in the rescue efforts.
The accident occurred on February 22 at around 8:30 AM, when a 3-meter section of the tunnel’s roof collapsed about 13 km inside from the entry point. At the time, 60 workers were inside. While 52 managed to escape, 8 workers—including 2 engineers, 2 machine operators, and 4 laborers—remain trapped near the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).
Difficulties in the Rescue Operation
- No Response from Trapped Workers: Officials tried to call out to them, but there was no response.
- Mud and Water Block the Path: Rescuers are struggling to move forward due to knee-deep mud.
- Oxygen Supply & Water Pumping: Oxygen is being supplied inside the tunnel, and a 100-horsepower pump has been brought in to remove water.
Rescue teams are continuing their efforts despite these challenges.
Details of 8 Workers Trapped in Telangana Tunnel
The 8 trapped workers in the collapsed Telangana tunnel belong to different states:
- 4 from Jharkhand
- 2 from Uttar Pradesh
- 1 from Punjab
- 1 from Jammu & Kashmir
Workers from Uttar Pradesh
- Shri Nivas (48), from Chandauli, has been working as a Junior Engineer (JE) at JP Company in Hyderabad since 2008.
- Manoj Kumar (50), from Unnao, is also an engineer in the same company. He is the son of Arjun Prasad from Matkuri village, Behata police station area.
Worker from Punjab
- Gurpreet Singh, from Tarn Taran, is among the trapped workers. He recently returned to work 20 days ago. His family includes his mother, wife, and two daughters (aged 16 and 13). His father has passed away. The family owns less than 2 acres of land.
Previous Incident in Telangana
In August 2024, a retaining wall collapsed near the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in Telangana’s Sunkishala area. The BRS party blamed the Congress government for the accident and demanded a judicial investigation. Congress countered by stating that the project started under BRS rule, and the wall collapsed due to poor construction quality.
