The rescue operation to save eight individuals trapped in a partially collapsed tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district has entered its final stage, a week after the incident occurred.
The state government has refuted reports claiming that bodies were found at the site.
Ambulances are on standby near the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel as desilting and machine-cutting operations intensify. Multiple rescue teams, including the Army, Navy, NDRF, SDRF, Singareni Mines Rescue, Fire Services, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), HYDRAA, South Central Railway plasma cutters, and Rat Miners, are concentrating on five locations identified by NGRI using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
NGRI experts have detected some soft material under the debris within the last 10-15 meters of the tunnel but are unsure if it is the trapped individuals. Significant silt deposits of five to seven meters need to be cleared from these locations. Continuous water seepage remains a major challenge in the rescue efforts.
Nagarkurnool District Collector Badavath Santosh has urged media outlets not to broadcast unconfirmed news to avoid creating panic. Authorities are employing advanced technology, including plasma gas cutters and special cameras, to expedite the rescue process. The trapped individuals, all employed by Jaiprakash Associates, include engineers, operators, and laborers from various states.
The operation has seen two workers injured and eight others trapped since a portion of the tunnel roof collapsed on February 22. The identities of the trapped individuals include Manoj Kumar (UP), Sri Niwas (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab), Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahau, all from Jharkhand.
