NALGONDA: While eight people were trapped, around 60 managed to escape from the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project following the collapse of its roof.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident took place shortly after the tunnel boring machine was activated.
Sayyad, a worker who was present at the site, said that he suddenly heard a loud sound. Some workers then started shouting “Bhago, bhago.”
Sayyad then noticed a huge volume of water flooding the area. “After running for three kilometres, a loco train arrived and by using it, we managed to escape to safety. If we had not been alert, we too could have been trapped.”
Another worker who managed to escape from the tunnel said, “Before the roof of the tunnel collapsed, water seepage increased and the soil and dirt were falling. But the authorities wanted us to continue the work.”
A worker from Jharkhand lamented that his close relative was trapped inside. He said, “It has been 24 hours already. The authorities are neither allowing us to go inside nor telling us anything about their condition. We want our people, failing which we will stage a dharna here.”
Three of the injured workers were rushed to the local GENCO hospital for treatment. After a day, they were discharged.
There are reports suggesting that workers who survived the accident have been intimidated by the construction company to avoid disclosing the details of the incident.
This has raised concerns about the transparency in the handling of the accident and the well-being of the workers involved. Local authorities are looking into the situation, and an investigation is expected.