Rescue Mission for Trapped Workers in Telangana Tunnel Enters Final Stage

Nagarkurnool- The operation to rescue eight workers trapped in the partially-collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district has entered its sixth day on Thursday, with multiple agencies coordinating intensified efforts.

Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and rat hole miners are working to remove silt and debris from the tunnel while using gas cutters to detach damaged parts of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).

The rescue operation gained momentum late Wednesday following a high-level meeting attended by military tunnel experts and state ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, where officials decided on a concrete action plan focused on full-fledged dewatering and desilting.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed optimism about a breakthrough "very soon," stating that the rescue mission has reached its final stage. "With the intensified rescue efforts, deployment of elite forces, and new high-tech interventions, a breakthrough in reaching the trapped workers could happen very soon," he said, adding that he hopes the operation will be completed within two days.

The minister explained that new strategies include reinforced support structures to stabilize the pathway leading to the TBM, ensuring rescuers can navigate safely through the tunnel. Officials have been directed to accelerate debris removal and strengthen weakened tunnel sections to prevent secondary collapses.

The rescue teams have faced significant challenges over the past two days, unable to advance further due to 7-9 meter high silt in the last 40-meter stretch. The accident site is located 14 km inside the tunnel, with rescue teams having already reached 13.5 km.

At Telangana's request, the National Disaster Management Authority has asked the National Remote Sensing Centre and Geological Survey of India to conduct surface and sub-surface assessments of the incident site to ensure the safety of rescue teams.

The government is also seeking assistance from experts experienced in tunnel construction in border areas and those who have participated in similar rescue operations elsewhere in the country.