The Telangana government is working with the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, and tunnel experts to rescue eight people trapped inside a collapsed tunnel at the SLBC project. These individuals have been stuck since Saturday morning. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who is overseeing the rescue efforts, expressed hope that they would be saved.
Reddy emphasized that the government is doing everything possible to recover the trapped workers. He said they are praying for their safety and are making every effort to reach them.
One of the biggest challenges in the rescue operation is the seepage of water, marshy conditions, and soil mounds, which are making it difficult to proceed. Additionally, a tunnel boring machine is blocking the passage, making access to the workers even harder. To overcome these obstacles, rescue teams are trying to drill a parallel path to reach the trapped individuals. The Army, NDRF, Singareni mining teams, and HYDRAA are all involved in the effort.
According to irrigation officials, the rescue teams have already traveled 13.5 km inside the tunnel with their equipment. However, they are now facing a roadblock just 200 meters away from the trapped workers due to mud and water seepage.
To speed up the rescue, officials are also drilling from above and alongside the tunnel. This requires more machinery, including high-capacity pumping sets, cranes, bulldozers, and fishing boats. The rescue teams are using loco trains to reach the site of the collapse and continue their efforts to save the trapped workers.
