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Telangana Tunnel Collapse Operation: The chances of survival of eight people trapped there after a part of the tunnel of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project collapsed on Saturday (February 22) morning in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana now seem slim, although every effort is being made to reach these workers. Despite the tireless efforts of the Indian Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies, there has been no success in the rescue operation so far.
Official sources said that a team of 584 skilled personnel from the Army, Navy, Singareni Collieries and other agencies have inspected the tunnel seven times along with NDRF and SDRF. He said that ‘gas cutters’ are working continuously to cut the metal rods. Search dogs were also brought in to locate people inside the tunnel, but they could not move forward due to the presence of water. However, after the arrival of the team of Rat Miners, a little more hope has arisen.
Political war over the accident
A political controversy has also arisen over this incident. Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao targeted Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in a post on social media, saying that the Chief Minister, who is actively participating in the Legislative Council election campaign, does not have time to visit the accident site. Reacting to this, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy claimed that the opposition leader did not go to Sircilla, where seven people died due to the Kaleshwaram project.
Chances of survival “very low”
The minister said that two of his cabinet colleagues are present at the tunnel site to oversee the rescue operations. Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said that the chances of survival of the people trapped in the tunnel are “very low” and it will take at least three to four days to rescue them, as the accident site is filled with mud and debris, making it difficult for the rescue workers to work. He also informed that a team of ‘Rat Miners’, who rescued the workers trapped in the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023, has joined the rescue teams to rescue the people trapped in the SLBC tunnel.
Indian Navy and Army also with SDRF and NDRF
The Chief Minister of Telangana has directed the officials that no stone should be left unturned in the efforts to rescue the trapped people. The Army and Navy have joined the rescue operation along with NDRF, SDRF and other agencies. Krishna Rao said, “Honestly speaking, the chances of their survival are very less. Because I myself went to the end, which was about 50 meters away (from the accident site). When we took the pictures, the end (of the tunnel) was visible and out of the 9-metre diameter (of the tunnel) – about 30 feet, 25 feet of that 30 feet is covered with mud.” He said, “When we called out their (trapped people) names, there was no response… So, it seems there is no possibility (of them being alive).”
Who are the people who are trapped inside the tunnel
The people trapped in the tunnel for the last 60 hours have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Srinivas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab and Sandeep Sahu, Jagta Jess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand. Of these eight people, two are engineers, two operators and four are labourers. Krishna Rao said that the work of removing the debris is going on with the help of various machines. According to him, the ‘Tunnel Boring Machine’ (TBM), which weighs a few hundred tonnes, was swept away about 200 metres after the collapse and due to the strong flow of water.
The work of removing water is being done rapidly
Krishna Rao said, “Even if it is assumed that they (trapped people) are in the lower part of the TBM machine and even if it is safe above, then where is the air (oxygen)? How will oxygen go down, although the work of supplying oxygen and removing water is being done continuously.” Road and Building Minister Reddy expressed hope and prayed to God for the successful rescue of the eight trapped people.
How did the workers get trapped in the tunnel?
The workers who survived the accident expressed hope for the safe return of their colleagues and recalled the tragedy that happened before their eyes. One of the workers, Nirmal Sahu, said that when he went inside the tunnel on the morning of February 22, the flow of water increased considerably and soil also started falling. Sahu, a resident of Jharkhand, said that those who felt danger ran towards a safe place but eight people could not come out. Obi Sahu, a relative of Sandeep Sahu, one of the trapped workers, said that some workers suffered minor injuries while coming out of the tunnel.
