• By Nidhi Giri
  • Mon, 24 Feb 2025 02:28 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Telangana Tunnel Collapse: State minister J Krishna Rao has hinted at the bleak chances for survival of the eight workers trapped inside the collapsed portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project tunnel in Nagarkurnool district, saying the chances of their survival are "not that good". As per officials, about three metres of the tunnel’s roof collapsed near the Srisailam reservoir on February 22, while workers were carrying out their daily tasks.

"Muck has piled up too high inside the tunnel, making it impossible to walk through. They (rescuers) are using rubber tubes and wooden planks to navigate through it," Krishna Rao, who went inside the tunnel, told reporters.

"We can't say. We are hopeful, but the kind of incident that took place was very serious and chances are we can not say. The chances of survival we can not predict. Chances are not that good," he said.

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Team Silkyara Joins Rescue Ops

Six members of the team behind the heroic Nov 2023 Silkyara tunnel rescue operation in Uttarakhand joined the Army, NDRF, SDRF and local agencies on Sunday in accelerated efforts to save the eight workers - two of them engineers - trapped inside the collapsed portion, reported Times of India.

"...Our mission is left for around 200 meters. Dewatering is going on. It is very difficult right now. After dewatering, we will do the cutting..." said an operator of the tunnel boring machine, as quoted by news agency ANI.

CM Revanth Reddy Reviews Rescue Ops

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is actively overseeing the ongoing rescue operations at the SLBC tunnel collapse site. The Chief Minister spoke to the ministers and senior officials, who are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating the rescue efforts, according to the Chief Minister's office.

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Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao are on the ground, closely monitoring the rescue operations for the second day (Sunday), as efforts continue to save the eight workers trapped in the tunnel, the CMO stated. Chief Minister Reddy has directed officials to intensify efforts to save the trapped workers.

(With Agency Inputs