Mugdha Das

Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Chances of survival of 8 trapped in collapsed tunnel for 48 hours slim
 

Digital Desk: Eight workmen have been trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Telangana for more than 48 hours, and rescuers are working swiftly to rescue them. A state minister has warned that their chances of survival are "very, very remote" as sludge and water clog the rescue mission.

The tunnel behind the Srisailam dam in Nagarkurnool, which is supposedly to be 44 kilometers long, collapsed Saturday morning while some workers were patching a leak inside. Although most were able to get away, eight ended up stuck and haven't been in contact since Saturday.

According to state minister Krishna Rao, who is in charge of the rescue attempts, four of them are laborers and four are employees of the construction company.

The Army, National Disaster Response Force, and state agencies are already involved in the rescue mission, and Navy commandos have arrived to aid them. Six members of the team that carried out the 2023 Silkyara tunnel operation in Uttarakhand have also joined the rescue attempts.

The collapse occurred at least 13 kilometers from the tunnel's mouth, and rescuers have reached the final 100 meters, but the minister has stated that water and sludge are hampering the rescue operation.

The rescuers have also expressed a need for more equipment as they fight against the odds to extract stuck workers. According to a report released yesterday, there were holes in the tunnel's walls from which water was rushing out and required to be dewatered.

Another concern was the sound of shifting boulders, which indicated that the roof in the collapsed section of the tunnel was still unstable.

Central and state governments are keeping a close eye on the situation at all hours.