Hyderabad:
Rescue workers are calling out the names of the trapped workers as they make their way inside the tunnel a portion of which collapsed yesterday in Telangana, showed exclusive footage accessed by NDTV. The tunnel in Nagarkurnool collapsed yesterday, trapping at least eight workers who were inside to repair a leak. Top rescue agencies have been deployed and a tunnel-boring machine is being brought to boost the rescue efforts.
Videos showed the workers trying to find their way beyond the mangled infrastructure that blocks the entry to the tunnel. Inside the tunnel, the workers inspected pumping stations and the mangled structures to decide their next course of action.
Rescuers are yet to establish contact with the trapped labourers while the internal communication mechanism failed yesterday. They are now calling the workers out by their names, hoping to get a reply, which would ensure they are alright.
The 44-km-long tunnel is located on an under-construction stretch of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC), an irrigation project that provides water to the Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts. When the tunnel collapsed, many workers managed to escape, but eight of them who were working on the tunnel boring machine got trapped, according to a brief report. The construction is being carried out by Jaypee Associated Group.
Disaster response forces have been engaged in bringing out the workers to safety, but muck mixed with water spread over 200-300 metres in the tunnel poses a key challenge.
The government report said that there is an earth fracture on the side of the tunnel wall, from where water is gushing out, and dewatering is required before the rescue operation. It said that noises of shifting boulders indicate the roof in the collapsed site is unstable.
At least four teams of the NDRF are on their way while state personnel are already engaged in the rescue operation. The situation is being monitored round-the-clock both at the state and central levels.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy held a review meeting yesterday during which Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar briefed him about the present situation at the tunnel. State Adviser (Irrigation) Adityanath Das and Adviser to the Chief Minister Vem Narender Reddy were also present at the meeting.
The Chief Minister has sought an update on the injured workers and asked the officials to expedite rescue efforts. He also asked them to ensure that the affected families get all kinds of support from the government.
Mr Reddy has also asked all departments to stay alert during the rescue operations.
