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Telangana minister J Krishna Rao painted a grim picture of the ongoing rescue efforts for the eight workers trapped inside the collapsed SLBC project tunnel. Speaking on Monday, he expressed deep concerns about their chances of survival, saying that when rescue teams called out their names, there was no response.
"To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote," he stated.
Severe Blockage Inside the Tunnel
The minister explained the extent of the obstruction inside the under-construction tunnel. He said he personally reached about 50 meters short of the collapse site and captured photographs showing the blockage.
"The end of the tunnel was visible, but nearly 30 feet of the 9-meter-wide tunnel is filled with debris. Out of that, 25 feet is packed with mud," Rao revealed.
Despite repeated attempts to establish contact, there has been no response from the trapped workers. "When we shouted their names, there was no response... so, there is no chance at all," he said, reinforcing the gravity of the situation.
Specialized Teams and Challenges in Rescue Operations
A team of expert rat miners, known for their role in rescuing workers from the Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand in 2023, has now joined the ongoing efforts. However, Rao warned that reaching the trapped workers could take three to four days due to the heavy debris obstructing the rescue teams’ progress.
Authorities have been pumping oxygen into the tunnel and working on dewatering efforts, but the minister raised concerns about whether the trapped workers have access to breathable air. "Even if we assume they are in the lower part of the TBM machine and that the top is intact, where is the oxygen? How will it reach them underneath?" he questioned.
Officials are also exploring alternative routes by clearing soil mounds inside the tunnel to reach the accident site.
Rescue Efforts Continue Without Breakthrough
The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and other agencies have been working tirelessly since Saturday, but so far, there has been no breakthrough in locating or rescuing the workers.
The trapped workers have been identified as:
- Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh
- Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir
- Gurpreet Singh from Punjab
- Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand
As rescue efforts continue, the families of the trapped workers wait anxiously, hoping for a miracle.
