Rescue Teams Near Trapped Workers in Telangana Tunnel Collapse

HYDERABAD: Rescuers are closing in on the engineers and workers trapped inside a tunnel after a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal Project collapsed over 24 hours ago. Officials confirmed on Sunday that rescue operations are in full swing. The accident occurred in Nagarkurnool district, about 150 km from Hyderabad. Despite efforts, rescuers calling out to those trapped have received no response so far.

Teams managed to reach the 13th kilometre inside the tunnel by 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, just short of the accident site. Telangana Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and J. Krishna Rao have traveled to the site to oversee the rescue mission.

“Rescue workers are removing debris consisting of iron, mud, and cement blocks. They have reached the 13th kilometre, where the collapse occurred, and are assessing the area near the tunnel boring machine’s last known position,” officials told PTI. A senior police officer added, “The teams have almost reached the final point near the machine and are evaluating the situation.”

Of the eight trapped workers, six—two engineers and four laborers—are employed by Jaiprakash Associates, while two others belong to a US-based company. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday to inquire about the incident, assuring full support from the central government for the ongoing rescue efforts. The operation, which continued into Sunday, involves personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Indian Army, and company employees.

The tunnel collapse occurred shortly after construction work had resumed. On Saturday morning, 50 workers entered the tunnel for their shift, accompanied by a 200-meter-long tunnel boring machine. They had advanced 13.5 km when a section of the roof suddenly gave way. While 42 workers managed to escape through the outer gate, eight were trapped inside.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that work is underway on the world’s longest 44-km tunnel, which is designed to transport water from the Srisailam project to irrigate four lakh acres of farmland in Nalgonda district. He noted that approximately 9.5 km of the tunnel remains unfinished.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is closely monitoring the situation and has instructed officials to accelerate rescue efforts to save those trapped. Authorities remain hopeful that they will reach the workers soon, ensuring their safe evacuation from the collapsed section of the tunnel.