The rescue operations in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana, where eight workers have been trapped for the past six days, is proving to be extremely challenging. A portion of a segment in the roof of the tunnel in the shear zone collapsed giving way to a sudden gush of water and mud on February 22. Those who were positioned near the tunnel boring machine were cut off while rest of the workers escaped. Such was the impact that the machine was found mangled, 12km deep inside the tunnel.
The rescue teams have been de-watering and clearing slush and mud, and have managed to reach the accident spot. But they have not been able to find any trace of the trapped workers – living or dead. Authorities overseeing the rescue work have said that there are only slim chances of finding any survivors and called the search operation one of the toughest undertaken in the country.
VIDEO | Telangana tunnel accident: Rat miners and NDRF rescue teams reach almost the end of the tunnel. Eight persons remain trapped for the past five days in the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 26, 2025
(Source: Third Party)
(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/aCShrKLlkW
The agencies which are involved in the operation include the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), NGRI (National Geophysical Research Institute), GSI (Geological Survey of India), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), L&T, and rat miners who played a key role in Uttarakhand rescue mission, and also other experts besides the Telangana government.
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“We are moving in carefully because the conditions inside the tunnel are unpredictable. We are waiting for reports from the National Remote Sensing Agency who would tell if there are any faultlines or water pockets close to the debris. Safety of the rescue workers is a priority and we cannot endanger their lives by taking any wrong step,” said a senior official present at the site.
For now, the officials have decided to have a three-pronged approach to clear the debris. First, is to continuously dewater. Next is manual clearance of silt as experts felt that using machinery may further disturb local formations that can lead to accidents. The teams will also be using plasma cutters to cut through the mangled machine to make rescue work easier.
Most of the workers who are trapped are from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand.
