SLBC tunnel collapse: Rescue operations in full swing, says NDRF commandant

NAGARKURNOOL (Telangana): National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Commandant V V N Prasanna Kumar on Monday said that the rescue operation to save eight workers trapped following the collapse of the SLBC tunnel was under way at full capacity, with around twelve agencies working around the clock to locate the trapped victims.

“Actually, the operation is going on in full swing. Approximately twelve agencies are working around the clock to find the victims. Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate them so far,” said the National Disaster Response Force Commandant.

He further stated that both the Telangana and Central governments have deployed top experts from across the country to assist in the complex tunnel operation. “Due to the complexity of the tunnel operation, we could not achieve success so far. However, maximum manpower is engaged in a planned manner, and hopefully, we will get success in a short time”, Kumar said

According to the NDRF Commandant, approximately 300 personnel, including 100 NDRF members, along with SDRF, Indian Army and Singareni teams are actively involved in the rescue efforts. “The main hurdle for us is the TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), which is a 1,500-ton machine that got damaged inside the tunnel, causing a major problem for us”, he said.

On Sunday, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel site to assess the ongoing rescue operation.

The rescue operation to save eight workers trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Nagarkurnool entered its ninth day on Sunday, as teams continue efforts to reach those stranded since the tunnel collapse on February 22.

Last Saturday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs visited the SLBC tunnel accident site in Nagarkurnool to assess the situation. BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy stated that the accident happened due to the mismanagement of both the current and previous state governments, stating that negligence had led to the disaster.

Reddy said that rescue operations are underway and that the state government is responsible for the accident. He added that the state government neglected several issues, which has now put the lives of eight workers at stake.

“Rescue operation is under way, but the state government is responsible for this incident. They neglected several issues and started the work, because of which today, the lives of eight people are in danger. The state government should take responsibility for this incident”, BJP MLA Maheshwar Reddy said. (ANI)