NEW DELHI – Rescue efforts to save eight people trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district have entered the fourth day, but worsening conditions have forced experts to slow down excavation.
The amount of mud and slush inside the tunnel has increased, making it even harder for rescue teams to reach the trapped workers.
The tunnel inlet is now blocked further, leaving only 11.5 kilometres of access. To avoid further risks, experts are now considering a sideways approach instead of digging straight in.
Officials warn that heavy excavation could make the tunnel unstable, putting both the trapped men and the rescue teams in danger.
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Australian tunnel expert Chris Cooper, working with L&T, has also said that the ground is too unstable for aggressive digging.
Adding to the difficulties, around 3,200 litres of water is flooding into the tunnel every minute, mixing with sand and rock to create more slush. However, officials say they are managing the water flow through de-watering methods.
The eight trapped men include two engineers, two operators, and four labourers. They were caught inside when a part of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on Saturday morning.
The trapped workers have been identified as Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand, Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir, and Gurpreet Singh from Punjab.
Slim Chances of Survival
Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao has said that the chances of survival for the trapped workers are “very, very low.”
He explained that the thick mud inside has made it almost impossible for rescuers to walk, forcing them to use rubber tubes and wooden planks to move forward.
Despite the grim situation, rescue efforts continue. A special team of “rat miners,” who successfully rescued workers from a tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand in 2023, has now joined the operation.
Nine national agencies are working on the rescue, with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy receiving updates every hour. Experts from the Geological Survey of India and the National Geophysical Research Institute have also been called in to assess the situation and help guide the operation.
