HYDERABAD: The rescue operations in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel to save the eight trapped workers continued on the seventh day on Friday. The officials were using the latest equipment, including a ground penetrating radar system, in their efforts to reach the trapped workers.
Meanwhile, in the evening, reports surfaced on social media stating that the officials found five bodies in the tunnel. Nagarkurnool district collector B Santhosh termed them as fake. “The rescue operations are still going on, do not believe in fake news. We will confirm it if any such thing happens,” he said.
“We are going forward as per the findings of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). But we cannot say anything about it now. There were reports that some ‘soft’ parts were found in the NGRI survey. But the officials did not confirm it,” the collector said, adding that desilting and dewatering were going on.
According to officials, as many as 12 teams were constantly working to identify the trapped workers. Rat-hole miners, NDRF, Army and Navy were involved in the rescue operations. Besides, plasma cutters from South Central Railways too were working tirelessly. They were cutting the damaged parts of tunnel boring machine, removing the iron parts and clearing the path to the accident spot. The officials were using sensors, special cameras and excavators.
Tunnel has space for 80: NDRF
An NDRF official said that their teams visited the tunnel 10 times. “There is not enough space inside the tunnel and only 80 to 100 workers can go inside at any given time. The available staff is working in different shifts,” he explained.
According to the official, ultra thermal cutting machines too were deployed and the Singareni Collieries Company Limited sent 200 additional workers on Friday to participate in the rescue operation.