Rescue ops intensified to reach trapped persons in collapsed tunnel

Nagarkurnool: The teams tasked with rescuing eight people trapped in a partially collapsed SLBC tunnel have begun dismantling the section of the Tunnel Boring Machine and other obstacles that are keeping them from reaching the location where they can look for the victims.

Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad stated that the damaged portion of the tunnel's conveyor belt is likely to be fixed during the day to permit debris transportation.

"Yes, it has already started (gas cutting machines went inside) last night. Even during the nights they did some cutting," the official told PTI when asked if the gas cutters started working.

Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the TBM that is struck inside will be cut into pieces by using gas cutters and removed.

After this, the Army, Navy, Rat Miners and NDRF teams will make another serious effort to rescue the eight persons who are missing, without compromising their safety. Replying to a query, the SP said he can not answer if the trapped individuals will be located today.

According to sources some of the workers engaged in the tunnel work have started leaving the place out of fear.

A senior government official said there are 800 people working on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal project out of which 300 are locals while the rest are from states like Jharkhand, Odisha and UP.

On the media reports that labourers are panicked after the accident and planning to leave, the official said the initial apprehension will be there among the workers.

"The company constructed residential camps also for the workers. The initial panic will be there. Maybe some individuals want to go back. But we have no reports of workers leaving en masse," the official said.

Eight personnel working on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project were trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on February 22.

Meanwhile, former minister and BRS legislator T Harish Rao would visit the SLBC project today along with his party leaders.

Jaiprakash Gaur, Founder Chairman of Jaypee Group, the contracting firm of the SLBC project on Wednesday reacted to the incident saying accidents may happen during difficult works.

Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, was awarded the tunnel boring of SLBC.

Gaur further said the teams are doing their best to see that those trapped individuals come out.

Two engineers and four labourers of the eight trapped persons are working for Jaiprakash Associates.

The trapped persons have been identified as Manoj Kumar (UP), Sri Niwas (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahau, all from Jharkhand.

Of the eight, two are engineers, two are operators and the remaining four are labourers.

With PTI inputs