HYDERABAD: Rescuers have inched closer to the engineers and workers trapped inside a tunnel after a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal project collapsed on Saturday, with operations underway to extricate them, officials said on Sunday.
The rescue teams called out the names of the trapped people, but there was no response, sources said.
As many as eight workers are feared trapped after a part of the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel's roof collapsed approximately 14 km from Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district around 8.30 am on Saturday.
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao reached the site on Sunday morning and are supervising the rescue operations.
"I pray that those stranded inside the tunnel are evacuated safely," Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called and spoke to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday morning to enquire about the ongoing rescue operations at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel.
In the nearly 20 minute call, CM Reddy illustrated the urgency with which the government responded on getting the news, rushing Minister Uttam Reddy to the spot, and deployment of the NRDF and SRDF rescue squads, according to a statement released by the CM's office.
Rahul Gandhi appreciated the steps taken, as well as the constant vigil and monitoring. He urged the government to leave no stone unturned in trying to save the trapped workers.
On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the phone and enquired about the accident.
He told the chief minister that NDRF teams would be deployed immediately for rescue operations and assured the state government of the Centre’s full support.
A 96-member NDRF team and personnel from the Indian Army’s Engineer Task Force (ETF) reached Domalapenta in the night.
When asked whether those trapped inside the tunnel were alive, the minister said: "So far there is no information about this. But we are going ahead with the hope that they are alive. There is no problem with ventilation inside the tunnel.”
Meanwhile, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren urged Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to ensure all possible assistance for the rescue of workers who are trapped in a tunnel.
Four workers from Jharkhand, were trapped in the tunnel that collapsed.
"There are reports of some workers from other states including Jharkhand being trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal Tunnel accident in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana.
I request the Chief Minister of Telangana, Mr @revanth _anumula ji, to provide all possible rescue help in the tunnel accident. I pray for the safety of all the workers trapped in the accident from Marang Buru," Soren posted on X on Saturday night.
The Jharkhand government is coordinating with the Telangana administration, and is ready to provide all necessary help, he said.
As per the preliminary information, the four workers from Jharkhand who are trapped in the tunnel belong to Gumla district, an official said.
The state Labour Department was gathering information about their families, an official statement said.
The State Migrant Control Room is in touch with the Telangana government regarding these workers, it added.
Around 8 am on Saturday, nearly 60 workers entered the tunnel being laid through the Nallamala forests from Domalapenta — near Srisailam backwaters — to Nakkalagandi reservoir. They were carrying out construction activities around 14 km inside the tunnel when the roof collapsed due to a sudden influx of water, government sources said.
Speaking to reporters at Domalapenta in the evening, Uttam said that the workers had begun using the Tunnel Boring Machine as part of their daily routine. “When they began, there was not much disturbance. After some time, there was an influx of water due to a geological disturbance.”
A project engineer, field engineer and four labourers from Jaiprakash Associates Company, and two operatives from Robbins India, which handles the tunnel boring machine operations, were trapped. They hail from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Initially, the tunnel collapse extended up to a length of three metres. Officials later said the extent of the collapse may have increased.
Uttam said that rescue operations will begin after the geological disturbance is stabilised. “As this incident took place 14 kilometres inside the tunnel, there will be some challenges. We are getting the best tunnel experts in the country to oversee the rescue efforts,” he added. He revealed that the government had also spoken to experts who rescued workers trapped in a tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023.
Meanwhile, soon after receiving information about the roof collapse at the tunnel, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed shock. He instructed the district collector, SP, Fire Services department, HYDRAA and Irrigation officials to rush to the spot and take up relief measures.
On the CM’s instructions, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Department Advisor Adityanath Das and officials rushed to Domalapenta in a special helicopter. Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao also went to the spot.
A team from Singareni Collieries too has been deployed for rescue operations. Singareni CMD N Balram said that they have the necessary expertise to handle critical situations such as roof collapses. “We have necessary equipment imported from Australia, USA and Poland and the machinery and rock cutters are so advanced that they can cut huge rocks and boulders within minutes,” he said.
The chief minister asked the officials to expedite the necessary rescue operations and save the trapped workers. He ordered the officials to provide medical treatment to the injured in the incident and assured the affected families that the government would extend all support. After coming back to Hyderabad, Uttam briefed the chief minister about the current situation at the tunnel.
Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar spoke to top NDRF officials over phone.
Initiated in 2007
The Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) Project, also known as the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project, was initiated in 2007 under the united Andhra Pradesh government. The aim was to provide irrigation and drinking water to erstwhile Nalgonda district from the backwaters of the Srisailam Project at an estimated cost of Rs 1,925 crore. The original deadline was December 2010, but successive governments kept extending it and the estimated cost has now shot up to around Rs 4,700 crore.
Officials said around 34 kilometres of the total 42 km of tunnel work had been completed. But work had stagnated for the past few years. After the Congress government came to power, it decided to continue the work and complete it within two years. The work resumed just four days ago.