Eight men are trapped inside the tunnel for five days, and their condition is not known.
Published Feb 26, 2025 | 4:05 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 26, 2025 | 4:05 PM
Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the ongoing rescue operation is most complex and difficult due to a single entry and exit point. (Sumit Jha/South First)
Synopsis: Rescuers have reached the last 40 meters from the tunnel’s end but found no sign of the trapped workers. Amidst fear of further collapse, the government said its priority now is the rescuers’ safety. Meanwhile, the chief of Jaypee Group, Jai Prakash Gaur, said such accidents are possible in huge engineering construction activities. He also hinted at recovering ‘bodies’ from the tunnel.
A 20-member team reached the last accessible point in the partly collapsed under-construction tunnel but found no signs of the trapped eight workers on Wednesday, 26 February.
The team included personnel from the national and state disaster response forces, and rat miners — a group involved in rescuing workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel in November 2023.
“However, they encountered significant debris, and discussions are underway on how to proceed further,” Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad said.
A part of the roof, 14 kilometers inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) Tunnel, collapsed and trapped the eight men at Domapenta in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Saturday, 22 February.
There has been no information on the condition of the workers.
Even as search operations proceeded cautiously amid apprehensions of further collapse of the tunnel, Founder and Chairman of the the tunnel project implementing firm, the Jaypee Group, Jai Prakash Gaur said such accidents were possible during the construction of major engineering projects.
“In the face of nature, sometimes, there is little we can do,” he said.
Gaur, 90, was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Minister of Roads and Buildings Komatireddy Venkat Reddy at the tunnel on Wednesday.
“We will try our best to ensure that all eight trapped individuals are rescued. At the same time, the project must be completed,” he said.
“In such challenging works, these incidents occur. I have witnessed six or seven such accidents in my lifetime—in Tehri (Uttarakhand), Bhutan, Jammu & Kashmir, and other locations. We have to face such challenges,” the nonagenarian added.
Gaur, incidentally, revealed the possible condition of the trapped individuals.
“We have spoken to the minister about recovering the ‘bodies’ and the lessons to be learned from this incident,” he said while mentioning ongoing discussions on retrieval operations.
However, he hastened to add that rescue teams were making every effort to bring the trapped workers to safety.
Superintendent of Police Gaikwad said the search teams could earlier reach only up to 40 meters away from the tunnel’s end. “Yesterday (Tuesday), they managed to cross that 40-meter mark,” he added.
Despite the breakthrough, rescuers have yet to find any sign of the trapped workers. Geological Survey of India (GSI) teams have collected soil samples, but their final report on the structural stability of the tunnel is still pending.
Experts from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, GSI, and other agencies continued their efforts to find a breakthrough in the collapsed tunnel. However, the continuous flow of silt and water posed a severe threat to both rescuers and the trapped individuals.
Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy acknowledged the severity of the situation on Tuesday, stating that experts consider the situation at Domapenta “one of the most complex and difficult tunnel rescue operations in the world, or at least in India,” due to the presence of a single entry and exit point.
There has been no contact with the trapped workers, though oxygen was being continuously pumped into the tunnel, Uttam Kumar Reddy informed reporters.
Meanwhile, state Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said the government’s top priority now was on ensuring the safety of rescue workers.
“We are making sure that the rescue teams are not put to unnecessary risk while carrying out operations. Our teams are working round the clock, and we are closely monitoring the situation,” Rao said.
On Monday, 24 February, he indicated that the possibility of finding the trapped workers alive was remote. “The chances of survival under these conditions are not good,” he then told reporters.
The GSI and the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) were analyzing the tunnel’s structural integrity. Minister Rao said that the search operation’s next steps would be based on their assessments.
“We are awaiting detailed reports from GSI and NRSA before proceeding with further rescue efforts. Their analysis will guide us in choosing the safest and most effective approach,” he added.
As the rescue mission entered its most critical phase, time was running out, and authorities remained under immense pressure to find a way to bring the trapped workers to safety.
Late on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that 3,600–5,000 liters of water flowing from the tunnel made the search difficult.
The minister outlined the difficulties being encountered. “The increasing water flow inside the tunnel, silt accumulation, and heavy debris are creating major obstacles for the rescue teams,” he said.
“Despite these challenges, our personnel are displaying extraordinary dedication, working continuously without rest. We are deploying high-powered pumps to drain the floodwater, but the conditions remain extremely difficult,” he added.
To explore alternative approaches, he stated that experts were assessing the feasibility of drilling from the top and side of the tunnel while ensuring all necessary safety precautions.
“We are constantly evaluating every possible method to reach the trapped workers while prioritising their safety,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated that the SLBC tunnel was a crucial project that had been neglected for 10 years under the previous BRS government.
“This is one of the longest tunnels in the world, without any intermediate outlets spanning 45 kilometers, out of which 35 km has been completed. Once finished, this project will provide a lifeline to the Nalgonda district, transforming it into a green belt and offering a permanent solution to fluoride contamination,” he explained.
He stated that Saturday’s incident should not overshadow the importance of completing the project.
“Despite this setback, we remain committed to ensuring the safe completion of SLBC and delivering its benefits to the people of Telangana,” he assured.
Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated that the Telangana government was remaining steadfast in its mission to bring the trapped workers to safety.
“We are leaving no stone unturned. Every resource, every expert, and every advanced method available is being deployed. The government stands firm in its commitment to saving lives and ensuring the safety of its people,” he asserted.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
