T'gana tunnel tragedy: Experts reach endpoint, no sign of missing workers
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Nagarkurnool: In a crucial development, rescuers working to save eight workers trapped for the past five days inside the collapsed SLBC tunnel have managed to reach the tunnel’s endpoint and return, a senior police official confirmed on Wednesday.
Due to heavy muck and debris, rescue teams had previously been able to advance only up to 50 meters before the tunnel's endpoint. However, a 20-member team comprising NDRF, SDRF, and Rat Miners successfully reached the last accessible points of the tunnel.
“A significant breakthrough was made as the rescue team reached the tunnel's end, but the area is still filled with debris. They are strategizing the next course of action,” said Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad.
He further noted that on the previous day, rescuers had only reached up to 40 meters before the endpoint, but they managed to push past that mark. Despite searching the area, they found no signs of the trapped workers.
Responding to queries, Gaikwad said the Geological Survey of India (GSI) team, which has collected samples to assess soil strength and other critical factors, has yet to submit its report.
Meanwhile, top experts from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, GSI, and other agencies continue their relentless efforts to break through the collapsed section of the tunnel. However, the ongoing flow of silt and water poses a constant risk to the rescuers' lives.
Telangana Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, addressing the media on Tuesday, cited experts who described this as one of the most complex and difficult tunnel rescue operations in India, if not the world, due to the SLBC tunnel’s single entry and exit point.
“There has been no contact with the trapped workers so far, but oxygen is being continuously pumped into the tunnel,” Reddy said.
The disaster occurred on February 22 when a portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed, leaving eight workers trapped inside. Rescue efforts remain ongoing as teams work tirelessly to find a breakthrough.
With PTI inputs
