Telangana tunnel collapse: ‘Chances of survival very remote,’ Minister's BIG update on eight trapped men | 10 points

Telangana tunnel collapse: The rescue operation is underway on a war footing to save eight men trapped inside Telangana's Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel for the last forty-eight hours. Expressing concern over the situation, Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao on Monday said that the chances of survival of trapped workers are “very remote”.

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Telangana tunnel collapse | Top 10 updates

In a conversation with news agency PTI, the minister said that the rescuers are facing a daunting task in carrying out the operation because the tunnel is filled with muck and debris.

Here are the latest updates on the Telangana tunnel collapse.

Minimal chances of survival

After assessing the accident site in Telangana, Minister Jupally Krishna Rao told PTI, “To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote. Because I myself went up to the end, almost just 50 meters short (of the mishap site). When we took photographs, the end (of the tunnel) was visible. And out of the 9-meter diameter (of the tunnel)--almost 30 feet, out of that 30 feet, mud has piled up up to 25 feet.”

Why Telangana tunnel rescue operation is challenging?

The collapsed tunnel patch is filled with water, and another portion is buried to half its height in slick and slimy mud. NDRF officials said on Sunday that it would take longer for the team to remove debris and water and reach the spot hidden behind it.

"The patch between the 11 to 13 km is filled with water, so right now, we are in the process of removing the water. When that is done, we will start the rescue operations," NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta told ANI on Sunday.

"There's no chance to go to the spot inside the tunnel. It has completely collapsed, and mud is reaching up to the knees. We will have to take another step," he added.

Army, Navy join operation

With the rescue operation going on for more than a day, Indian Army and Navy officials have joined the NDRF team to speed up the operation.

Equipment used during Uttarakhand tunnel tragedy brought

Rescue teams are also using highly advanced equipment that was used to rescue trapped workers from the collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023. 

“Through the endoscopic camera, we can track what is happening inside the tunnel. We have done this during the rescue operation in Uttarakhand as well. 2 teams have come. Endoscopic and robotic cameras have been brought,” L&T's endoscopic operator Dowdeep told ANI.

How long would it take to rescue trapped workers in Telangana?

It would take at least three to four days to rescue the trapped individuals, said Jupally Krishna Rao, who has been overseeing the rescue operations along with Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. The accident site is filled with muck and debris, hence it is taking longer for the team to clear the way and establish contact with the trapped workers, he added.

"For removing all the debris and all that, in spite of all types of efforts, all types of organisations (working), it takes, I think it takes not less than 3-4 days (to extricate the people)," Jupally Krishna Rao told PTI.

No contact with trapped workers yet

The rescue team officials are unable to establish any contact with trapped individuals.

"When we shouted their names also, there was no response...so, there is no chance at all," PTI quoted Minister Jupally Krishna Rao.

Who are the individuals trapped inside Telangana tunnel?

It has been more than 48 hours since a portion of the SLBC tunnel collapsed near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, on Saturday morning at around 8.30 am.

Trapped individuals are from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab.

Of the eight trapped in the SLBC tunnel, two are engineers, two operators and four labourers.

As per the PTI report, trapped individuals have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh (Jammu and Kashmir), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab), and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.

Process of clearing debris underway

The process of clearing the debris is underway, and officials are using highly advanced machinery to speed up the process, said Jupally Krishna Rao.

According to him, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which weighs a few hundred tons, got almost flushed away by about 200 meters after the collapse and due to the gushing water.

Rescue team pumping oxygen, dewatering tunnel

To maximise the trapped individuals' chances of survival, the rescue team is pumping oxygen and carrying out dewatering procedure near the tunnel's collapsed portion.

"Even, even assuming they (the trapped persons) are in the lower part of the TBM machine, assuming even if it is intact on the top, where is the air (oxygen)? Underneath, how the oxygen will go," Jupally Krishna Rao added.

Rescue team members are using locomotives to enter tunnels, and the conveyor belt was being restored to speed up the process of extracting debris, said the minister.

Telangana tunnel collapse workers hope for colleagues' safe return

As the ongoing operation to rescue the eight workers trapped inside SLBC tunnel project continues, other workers at the site hope for safe return of their colleagues.

Nirmal Sahu, one of the workers who survived the tunnel collapse on Saturday recalled how the gush of water increased suddenly and loose soil started falling off. Many of them sensed the danger and ran out of the tunnel, but eight individuals couldn't come out.

"We expect the government to bring our colleagues out safely. We hope to see them alive," Sahu told ANI.