Hyderabad- Rescue operations to save eight individuals trapped for three days in a collapsed tunnel in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, are being recalibrated as teams face significant challenges in the final 40-50 meters of the rescue path.

Authorities have enlisted specialists from the Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Geographical Research Institute (NGRI), and National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) to evaluate conditions and recommend next steps. Multiple specialized units including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army personnel, and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) teams are proceeding with caution due to concerns about tunnel stability during excavation work.

While dewatering continues, rescue coordinators await expert guidance for further action. A detailed tunnel mapping has been completed by various participating agencies including the Army, Navy, SDRF, National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation, and Singareni Collieries Company Limited to develop a targeted rescue plan.

Technical difficulties have complicated efforts, with officials reporting that the conveyor belt used to remove debris has malfunctioned. Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy indicated that repairs are underway. Advanced equipment deployed for the operation, including endoscopic and robotic cameras, has not functioned as intended in locating the trapped workers.

The accident occurred when the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) split in two after a section of the tunnel roof collapsed on February 22. Rescue teams have located the tail unit of the TBM approximately 50 meters from the tunnel's end. The head section contains a safety container designed for emergency shelter, though it remains unknown whether the trapped individuals managed to reach this protective area before the collapse intensified.

The area beyond the TBM tail unit is filled with sediment and debris, which has prevented rescue teams from advancing for over 24 hours. According to the tunnel assessment, the loco track remains accessible for 12 kilometers of the 13.5-kilometer track length. Water conditions vary throughout, with no standing water for the first 10.7 kilometers, increasing to 1.5 feet at the 10.95-kilometer mark and 2 to 2.5 feet at 11.3 kilometers.

A specialized team of rat miners who successfully rescued 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023 has arrived but has not yet been deployed. Team members noted that conditions differ significantly from their previous operation, with the Telangana tunnel filled with water and mud rather than solid rock that could be penetrated with hand tools.

Several government officials, including Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and several ministers, have visited the site to coordinate with rescue agencies. Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy brought in Harpal Singh, former engineer-in-chief of the Border Road Organisation, who reportedly described this as one of the most complex tunnel accidents he had encountered.

The collapse occurred at the 14-kilometer point of the left-side tunnel, where 50 people were working. While 42 workers escaped, eight remained trapped, including two engineers and two machine operators. The trapped individuals are from various states: Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.