Hyderabad: More than 36 hours after a portion of an under-construction tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district collapsed, trapping eight workers, rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army and other agencies continued their efforts to save them while the Indian Navy also set to join the rescue operation.
The teams have reached close to the 14th-km point where the roof of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on Saturday.
NDRF, Army, Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) were making intensive efforts, braving water and silt which almost filled the tunnel.
About 250 personnel of NDRF, State Disaster Response Force, and 24 personnel each from the Army, SCCL, and HYDRAA were facing the challenge of dewatering and desilting the tunnel.
Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao, who were supervising the rescue operation, went into the tunnel by a loco train.
Jupally Krishna Rao told media persons after coming out of the tunnel that the rescue teams were not hearing any voice, which is not a hopeful situation.
He, however, said oxygen was being supplied in the tunnel. The rescue teams were engaged in dewatering and desilting works.
There was a heap of silt with the height reaching about 15 feet, hampering the rescue operation.
The rescue teams were not in a position to take heavy equipment inside to clear the debris.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was supervising the rescue operation, said all efforts were being made to pull out the trapped men safely. He said the possibility of reaching the spot by digging the tunnel from the top was being explored.
A team from the Indian Navy is also expected to reach Srisailam on Sunday night to join the rescue operation.
NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta said that the task is challenging as the tunnel is filled with water.
“Our heavy equipment can’t reach the accident spot. Water has to be pumped out for the equipment to move in to clear the debris,” he added.
He said the rescue teams called out trapped men but there was no response.
“We can’t say where are trapped men are and in what condition,” he added.
Fishing boats, tires, and wooden planks were being mobilised for the rescue workers to cross the flooded part of the tunnel.
At least two workers were injured and eight others were trapped when a portion of the tunnel being dug as part of SLBC collapsed near Domalapenta.
A total of 50 persons were working on the left-side tunnel when the roof collapsed for three metres. The accident occurred at the 14th km point.
While 42 workers came out of the tunnel, the remaining eight were trapped. Those trapped include two engineers and two machine operators.
The trapped men are from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
Project manager Manoj Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Machine engineer Srinivas (Uttar Pradesh), and machine operators Sunny Singh (J&K) and Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) are among those trapped.
The four workers from Jharkhand are Sandeep Sahu, Santosh Sahu, Anju Sahu, and Jagta Khes.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy assured that the government would extend all possible help to the families of the victims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over the phone, enquired about the incident, and assured all support from the Central government.
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to the Chief Minister on Sunday and enquired about the rescue operations.
The state government recently resumed the construction work on the tunnel to complete the long-pending project.
The construction firm had started work four days ago and on Saturday morning 50 workers entered the tunnel for the work.
(IANS)
