'Chances of survival are very, very, very remote': Rescue ops continue at Telangana tunnel collapse

Hyderabad: After being trapped for over two days under debris and muck, the chances of survival for the eight individuals trapped in the SLBC tunnel following a partial collapse appear bleak. Despite relentless efforts by the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, and other rescue agencies, no breakthrough has been achieved so far.

Rescue teams have struggled to navigate through thick muck, tangled iron rods, and cement blocks to reach the accident site in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district. The incident occurred on Saturday morning, leaving the workers stuck inside the tunnel after a section of it collapsed.

A team of 584 skilled personnel, including those from the Army, Navy, Singareni Collieries, and other agencies, along with central and state disaster response teams, have conducted tunnel inspections seven times. They are using gas cutters to cut through metal rods as part of the rescue efforts. Sniffer dogs were also brought in to locate the trapped individuals, but due to the presence of water, they were unable to advance.

The incident has sparked a political row, with BRS Working President KT Rama Rao criticising Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for not visiting the accident site while actively participating in the MLC poll campaign.

In response, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy pointed out that the opposition leader had not visited Sircilla, where seven people had died due to the Kaleshwaram project. He added that two of his cabinet colleagues were present at the tunnel site overseeing the rescue operations.

Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, on Monday, expressed that the chances of survival are "very remote," noting that the rescue operation could take at least three to four days due to the muck and debris filling the accident site. He mentioned that a team of rat miners, who had rescued workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in 2023, has joined the operation.

Telangana’s Chief Minister has instructed officials to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to rescue the trapped individuals, even as the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, and other agencies continue their work.

"To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote. Because, I myself went up to the end, almost just 50 meters short (of the accident site). When we took photographs, the end (of the tunnel) was visible. And out of the 9-meter diameter (of the tunnel)—almost 30 feet, out of that 30 feet, mud has piled up up to 25 feet," Krishna Rao told PTI.

"When we shouted their names also, there was no response... so, there (seems to be) no chance at all," he said.

The eight trapped individuals have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh (Jammu and Kashmir), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab), and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand. Of the eight, two are engineers, two are operators, and four are laborers.

Krishna Rao explained that clearing the debris is a challenging process, with several machinery in place. He added that the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which weighs several hundred tons, was flushed away by 200 meters after the collapse due to gushing water.

"Even, even assuming they (the trapped persons) are in the lower part of the TBM machine, assuming even if it is intact on the top, where is the air (oxygen)? Underneath, how the oxygen will go," he asked, although pumping of oxygen and dewatering have been continuously done.

"For removing all the debris and all that, in spite of all types of efforts, all types of organizations (working), it takes, I think it takes not less than 3-4 days (to extricate the people)," Rao said, adding that the conveyor belt was being restored at the tunnel to clear the debris.

Komatireddy Venkat Reddy expressed hope for the safe rescue of the trapped workers, praying for their safe return.

Meanwhile, workers who survived the accident are holding onto hope for their colleagues' safe return, recalling the tragic event. Nirmal Sahu, one of the workers, described how the gush of water increased substantially on February 22 morning, with loose soil falling off the tunnel. Those who sensed the danger managed to escape, but eight people could not make it out.

"Few workers suffered minor injuries while running out of the tunnel," said Obi Sahu, another worker related to Sandeep Sahu, one of the trapped laborers.