Officials are calling out the names of the trapped workers as they proceed inside the tunnel, hoping for a response that would confirm their well-being. However, communication remains difficult as the internal communication system failed following the collapse.
Published Feb 23, 2025 | 9:57 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 23, 2025 | 11:12 AM
Rescue team members inside the tunnel calling out the names of the trapped workers.
Synopsis: Rescue teams are working to reach the eight workers trapped in the collapsed section of the under-construction SLBC tunnel near Domalapenta in Telangana. Multiple relief teams from both central and state governments have been deployed to the SLBC site. Top officials decided to bring in additional personnel, machinery, and tools from the Nagarkurnool district and nearby regions, including municipalities and private organisations, to ensure adequate resources for soil removal.
Rescue teams are working to reach the eight workers trapped in the collapsed section of the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel near Domalapenta in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, sources said on Sunday, 23 February.
The process involves navigating through knee-deep water, removing accumulated debris, and establishing communication with the trapped individuals. However, significant challenges, including unstable rock formations and water seepage, are complicating efforts.
Officials are calling out the names of the trapped workers as they proceed inside the tunnel, hoping for a response that would confirm their well-being. However, communication remains difficult as the internal communication system failed following the collapse.
Meanwhile, the final 200 meters of the collapsed tunnel section remain blocked by debris, preventing rescue teams from proceeding beyond the tunnel boring machine.
“Until this 200-meter debris is cleared, we cannot determine how to rescue the trapped workers. The 11-13 km stretch has a significant amount of water, and we are currently working on draining it,” said a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) official.
A team from the Indian Army has been deployed for the rescue operation, with 23 personnel reaching the SLBC tunnel site.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi spoke to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday morning over the ongoing rescue operations.
Revanth Reddy highlighted the urgency with which the government responded upon getting the news, rushing Minister Uttam Reddy to the spot, and deployment of the NDRF, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescue squads.
Revanth Reddy elaborated on the steps taken for the medical relief of the injured and efforts to reach out to the families of those trapped inside.
Sources said Rahul Gandhi asked the government to leave no stone unturned to save the trapped workers.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who visited Domalapenta, briefed Revanth Reddy about the present situation at the tunnel after returning to Hyderabad.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren asked his Telangana counterpart to ensure the rescue of workers.
“There are reports that some of the trapped workers in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal Tunnel accident in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district are from other states, including Jharkhand. I urge the Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy, to provide all possible assistance in the rescue operation. I pray for the safety of all workers trapped in the accident,” said Soren.
The Jharkhand State Labour Department is gathering information about their families, while the State Migrant Control Room remains in constant communication with the Telangana government.
However, BRS working president KT Rama Rao and former minister T Harish Rao held the Congress government and Revanth Reddy responsible for the collapse.
The upper portion of the tunnel collapsed at the 14-kilometre point around 8.30 am on Saturday.
The rock formation over the tunnel at the accident site is approximately 400 meters thick, making vertical excavation nearly impossible. Authorities have determined that the best approach is to remove the collapsed soil and rock carefully, but only after a thorough assessment of the situation.
Although the tunnel is reinforced with strong interlocking cement concrete rings, the collapse occurred near the tunnel boring machine (TBM) head, where the rock surface was still exposed during drilling. Experts from Robbins, who have extensive experience in dealing with such situations, have been using various materials to seal leaks and stabilise the structure. There is cautious optimism that the rescue operation will succeed.
Multiple relief teams from both central and state governments have been deployed to the SLBC site. At around 10 pm on Saturday, personnel from the NDRF, the SDRF, and fire services entered the tunnel using a specialised vehicle to assess the situation.
Inside, they encountered knee-deep water and continued on foot for approximately two kilometres along the conveyor belt used for transporting soil. The lighting system inside the tunnel was functional, but officials reported that there was more mud than water. It remains uncertain whether this accumulation resulted from the collapse or the TBM’s operations. The loose soil has built up significantly, creating additional obstacles for the rescue teams.
“ETF of Bison Division sappers has been deployed with pumping sets, armored hoses, excavators, JCBs, and a dozer,” the Army team said.
Rescuers used loud calls, whistles, and flashlights in their search for any signs of the trapped workers, but received no response. The tunnel boring machine was found tilted to one side, indicating the severity of the collapse.
Beyond the machine, an open space was identified, but poor signal reception prevented the deployment of a drone for further inspection. Without fully operational excavation tools and machinery, officials refrained from proceeding beyond the accumulated debris.
If the workers are in the open area beyond the mud, there is a chance of survival, but if they are trapped within the debris, the situation is critical, said the officials.
Following an extensive assessment, senior officials initiated rescue operations at 3 am on Sunday, prioritising the removal of the accumulated mud. A train carrying NDRF, SDRF, and fire personnel, along with gas cutters and shovels, was deployed inside the tunnel to begin clearing the debris. Additional teams were later sent in to accelerate the process.
As daylight broke, rescue operations gained momentum.
Top officials decided to bring in additional personnel, machinery, and tools from the Nagarkurnool district and nearby regions, including municipalities and private organisations, to ensure adequate resources for soil removal. The Nagarkurnool District Collector is overseeing these logistical operations, with high-ranking government officials supervising the rescue efforts on-site.
The collapse occurred at the 13.6-kilometre mark of the 44-kilometre-long SLBC tunnel, which is part of an irrigation project supplying water to Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts. According to initial reports, while many workers managed to escape, eight remained trapped near the TBM. The construction is being carried out by the Jaypee Associates Group.
Disaster response forces continue their efforts to extract the trapped workers, but the presence of waterlogged muck spread across 200–300 meters inside the tunnel remains a major obstacle.
A government report highlighted an earth fracture along the tunnel wall, causing water to gush in, necessitating dewatering before further rescue attempts. Additionally, sounds of shifting boulders indicate an unstable roof at the collapse site, posing further risks.
Initial visuals from the tunnel inlet confirm that access to the collapse site is nearly impossible due to knee-deep mud and debris. Alternative rescue strategies are being considered to reach the trapped individuals.
The chief minister directed officials to expedite the rescue operations to save the eight workers trapped inside the tunnel. He enquired about the health condition of the injured and instructed the officials to provide the best available medical treatment to them.
Revanth reassured the families of the workers that the government stands by them.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Revanth Reddy and enquired about the rescue efforts.
Rama Rao demanded a high-level probe into the incident. “Revanth is responsible. This incident happened even before the Sunkishala retaining wall collapse incident could fade from memory,”
He alleged that the Congress government was compromising on the quality of work by taking commissions from contractors.
Harish alleged that the collapse of the SLBC tunnel, built with crores of public money, was yet another example of the Congress government’s negligence and misgovernance.
“The tunnel collapse is not just an engineering failure. It’s the complete failure of governance. Time and again, the Congress government has rushed into projects without proper planning, only for them to collapse both literally and figuratively,” the former minister charged.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sumit Jha.)
