Nagarkurnool, Telangana (February 23) – A section of the roof, approximately three meters in length, of the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed early on Saturday morning near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana. The collapse has left six to eight workers feared trapped inside the tunnel.
Swift rescue operations have been launched, with coordination efforts led by the Telangana and Andhra Sub Area. The Engineer Task Force (ETF) from Secunderabad, part of the Indian Army’s Bison Division, has been deployed to assist in the rescue operation. Army medical teams, engineers, and heavy machinery, including high-capacity pumping sets, excavators, JCBs, and bulldozers, are actively clearing debris to ensure the safe evacuation of the trapped workers.
A joint meeting has been convened between the Civil Administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army, and the tunnel construction contractors to strategize and expedite the rescue operations. The priority remains to safely extract the workers trapped inside as soon as possible.
Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupalli Krishna Rao have been overseeing the rescue efforts. They informed that dewatering operations have begun, and oxygen is being pumped into the tunnel to support the trapped workers. The ministers emphasized that the state government, in collaboration with the Army, Navy, NDRF, and other organizations, is working tirelessly to ensure the safety of the workers.
“We have reviewed the relief operations with the Army, Navy, and NDRF representatives. Our government is working hard and putting all our efforts to save the lives of the eight people who are trapped inside,” said Uttam Kumar Reddy while inspecting the rescue efforts.
Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha have expressed their full support and cooperation for the relief measures and reached out to the Chief Minister regarding the incident.
The collapse occurred at the 14 km mark of the under-construction SLBC tunnel, just four days after construction resumed following a lengthy hiatus. While some workers managed to escape, the others remain trapped. Authorities continue to work around the clock to ensure their safe extraction.