Telangana Tunnel Collapse: 8 Still Trapped Inside As Ops Hit Roadblock

Mangalore Today News Network

Srisailam, Feb 23, 2025: Fresh details emerged in the Telangana tunnel collapse incident where eight persons were trapped in a tunnel after a section collapsed in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project on Saturday.

The rescue operations at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel faced a setback early on Sunday morning as teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) encountered severe challenges in accessing the collapsed section of the tunnel.

"There’s no chance to go to the spot inside the tunnel. It has completely collapsed, and mud is reaching up to the knees. We will have to take another step," an SDRF official said. SDRF, NDRF, and other rescue teams, along with officials from Singareni Collieries, returned after inspecting the collapsed portion of the tunnel.

Among the persons trapped inside, two are engineers of an infra firm and two are operators, employed with a US company. Four others are labourers. They all belong to Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.

On Saturday morning, a three-meter section of the roof of an under-construction stretch of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel caved in at the 14th km mark near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana.

The collapse occurred just four days after construction work had resumed following a lengthy hiatus. While some workers managed to escape, eight labourers are feared to be trapped inside the tunnel.

In response, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were deployed to the site, while an Engineer Regiment of the Indian Army, part of the Infantry Division at Secunderabad, was placed on standby with an Excavator Dozer to support the rescue efforts, said the army.

The ETF is equipped with specialist engineering teams, a medical detachment from the Field Ambulance of the Army Medical Corps, an ambulance, three high-capacity pumping sets, armoured hoses, and other accessories.

Reacting to the incident, Congress MP from Nagarkurnool, Mallu Ravi, told ANI, "A very bad incident happened in the SLBC tunnel. The roof collapsed here. Around 60 people were working. Except for 8, all others have come out safely without any serious injuries."