Nagarkurnool, Telangana, Feb 26 – Rescue efforts to save eight workers trapped in the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel for the past five days have reached a critical stage, with teams managing to access the tunnel's end, only to be obstructed by significant debris, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad stated that a 20-member team, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and expert Rat Miners, reached the last point of the tunnel but encountered heavy muck and debris. “They are now assessing the best approach to move forward,” he added.
The rescue teams, previously only able to reach within 50 meters of the tunnel’s endpoint, made additional progress over the past two days, crossing the 40-meter mark. However, their overnight search yielded no signs of the trapped workers.
Meanwhile, a Geological Survey of India (GSI) team, which collected soil samples to evaluate the tunnel’s structural integrity, has yet to submit its report.
Despite challenging conditions, including continuous silt and water inflow posing risks to rescuers, experts from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, GSI, and other agencies remain engaged in the high-stakes rescue mission. Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy described the operation as one of the most complex tunnel rescues ever undertaken in India, emphasizing that the SLBC tunnel has only one entry and exit point, making access difficult.
So far, there has been no contact with the trapped workers, though oxygen is being continuously pumped into the tunnel.
The disaster occurred on February 22 when a section of the SLBC tunnel collapsed, leaving eight workers stranded. Rescue operations are ongoing as authorities explore all possible strategies to safely retrieve them.
