Rescue operations for trapped workers in Telangana’s SLBC tunnel under way

NAGARKURNOOL (Telangana): Rescue operations to evacuate the trapped workers in Telangana’s Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel have been under way since Sunday morning. Early morning visuals from Monday of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel show that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is making progress and advancing more profoundly into the tunnel, where eight labourers are feared to be trapped.

The response force is currently working to remove the accumulated water inside the tunnel. However, due to debris blocking the area, the team has not yet been able to confirm their exact ‘location’, as confirmed by NDRF officials.

#WATCH | Nagarkurnool, Telangana | Visuals from Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel where rescue operation is underway to rescue the workers trapped inside the tunnel after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on 22nd February.

Endoscopic and robotic cameras have also been… pic.twitter.com/N0XDxHKNN4

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2025

NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta said the force had covered around 13.5 kilometres inside the tunnel, primarily using locomotives and conveyor belts. Datta said, “Yesterday, around 10 pm, we went inside to check what the situation was like. The locomotives were used to enter the tunnel. From the gate of the tunnel, we covered a total of around 13.5 km. We covered 11 km by train and then the rest of 2 km by conveyor belt and by walking”.

The official added that the last 200 meters of the collapsed section are completely blocked by debris, making it difficult to confirm the condition or exact location of the trapped workers. “We had reached till the end of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). We shouted and tried to get any reply from the trapped workers, but unfortunately, we could not know anything because there is a patch of around 200 meters which is filled with debris. Till the debris is cleared we cannot know the exact location of the victims”, the NDRF deputy commandant said.

“The patch between the 11 to 13 km is filled with water, so right now, we are in the process of removing the water. When that is done, we will start the rescue operations”, the official added.

Challenging conditions in the Srisailam tunnel (SLBC), but 4 NDRF teams are pushing forward with rescue efforts. Every moment counts. #SrisailamRescue #NDRF #TunnelRescue@HMOIndia @NDRFHQ @ANI @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/6gbR5Mv853

— 10 NDRF VIJAYAWADA (@10NDRF) February 23, 2025

Earlier today, both the NDRF and SDRF teams encountered severe challenges in reaching the collapsed section. “There’s no chance to go to the spot inside the tunnel. It has completely collapsed and mud is reaching up to the knees. We will have to take another step”, an SDRF official said.

On Saturday morning, a three-metre section of the roof of an under-construction stretch of the SLBC tunnel collapsed at the 14 km mark near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana. The collapse occurred just four days after construction work had resumed following a lengthy hiatus. While some workers managed to escape, the eight remained trapped. (ANI)