Telangana: 200 personnel will be deployed in SLBC tunnel rescue operation as efforts intensify

NAGARKURNOOL(Telangana): Rescue operations are ongoing in Nagarkurnool after a tunnel collapsed on February 22, trapping eight workers. Efforts to rescue them have been intensified, with a total of 200 personnel set to be deployed at the site.

A joint effort involving mining experts from Singareni, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Indian Army, and other agencies is in progress, officials said.

An officer from the rescue team said, “Initially, we deployed 20 people and yesterday and today we are going to deploy 200 personnel… All our rescue team personnel from Singareni are experienced in working underground and in emergency situations. So, they are experts in rock cutting.”

Nagarkurnool SP Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath said, “All Singareni teams, NDRF team, SDRF team, Army and company officials are here. Sludge has been brought out since yesterday. Hopefully, we will get good results soon. The combined teams are working here. It is a combined operation.”

According to Congress MLA Dr. Chikkudu Vamshi, relief operations are continuing on the seventh day since the incident. He highlighted that 12 departments are collaborating to expedite the process, and experienced personnel from Singareni mines are playing a crucial role.

“This is the 7th day since the incident occurred… Today, work is being done on war footing with the collaboration of 12 departments. Those who are the experts in India are working here… I hope that by this evening, most of the slush will be removed… People who have the experience of working in Singareni mines are here…,” he said.

He further said, “People of BRS only do political drama. So many incidents occurred during their regime, and nobody responded. But today, with their malafide intention, they are doing propaganda. This is very unfair & unfortunate. Their attitude is not good. People of Telangana are watching this…” (ANI)