Rescue operations to evacuate workers trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana have been ongoing since Sunday morning, as emergency teams face significant challenges due to water and debris accumulation.
As of early Monday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been making steady progress into the tunnel, where eight laborers are feared trapped. The NDRF is currently focused on removing the accumulated water inside the tunnel to facilitate deeper access. However, the exact location of the trapped workers remains unknown due to debris blocking the collapsed section.
NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta reported that the team had advanced approximately 13.5 kilometers into the tunnel using locomotives and conveyor belts. “We covered 11 km by train and the remaining 2 km by conveyor belt and walking,” Datta said. The final 200 meters of the tunnel remain completely blocked by debris, making it impossible to confirm the condition or exact position of the workers.
“We reached the end of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and called out for any response from the workers, but we received none,” Datta added. “The last stretch is filled with debris, and until it’s cleared, we cannot determine the exact location of the victims.”
The rescue team is also working to remove water that has flooded parts of the tunnel between the 11 and 13 km marks. Once the water is drained, they will resume efforts to clear debris and reach the trapped workers.
Earlier today, both NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams faced severe obstacles while trying to access the collapsed section. “There’s no way to reach the spot inside the tunnel right now. It’s completely collapsed, and mud reaches up to our knees,” an SDRF official reported. “We will need to explore alternative methods to proceed.”
The incident occurred on Saturday morning when a three-meter section of the roof of an under-construction stretch of the SLBC tunnel collapsed at the 14 km mark near Domalapenta in the Nagarkurnool district. The collapse happened just four days after construction work resumed following a long hiatus. While some workers managed to escape, eight remain trapped inside the tunnel.
