Telangana Minister Reports No Responses from Trapped Workers
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Synopsis
Rescue teams in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district are facing challenges as they attempt to save eight workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel. Despite calling out names, no responses were received, raising concerns about the survivors' chances. The operation involves multiple agencies and advanced equipment to navigate through debris.
Key Takeaways
- No responses from trapped workers during rescue efforts.
- The situation inside the tunnel is horrifying.
- Rescue teams are hampered by muck and debris.
- Government is seeking aid from experts in various agencies.
- Hope remains due to past successful rescues in Uttarakhand.
Hyderabad, Feb 24 (NationPress) Rescue teams working to save eight workers trapped in an under-construction tunnel that collapsed on Saturday in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district reported no response when they called out for the trapped individuals, acknowledged state Minister Jupally Krishna Rao.
The Excise and Tourism Minister, who inspected the site personally, informed the media that the rescue teams attempted to reach the trapped men by calling out their names after a section of the tunnel's roof gave way. “Regrettably, there was no reply to these calls,” he stated.
Minister Krishna Rao, along with Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, is overseeing the rescue efforts and mentioned that the teams are very near the site of the incident.
He characterized the conditions inside the tunnel as terrifying and conceded that the likelihood of finding survivors is extremely slim. “The outlook does not seem promising,” he remarked.
With the tunnel's end visible, the minister expressed doubts about the chances of locating the trapped men alive.
Despite being close to the collapse point, the rescue operations are being obstructed by muck and debris.
On Monday, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and former minister K. Jana Reddy assessed the situation at the tunnel.
Venkat Reddy conveyed optimism that the trapped individuals could be rescued within the next 48 hours, citing a past incident in Uttarakhand where 41 workers were saved from a tunnel after a 17-day ordeal. “We remain hopeful,” he mentioned.
The minister noted that the government is enlisting assistance from experts across various agencies, both domestically and internationally, for the rescue operation.
Multiple teams, including the Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL), and the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), are participating in the rescue.
On Monday, two teams from Larsen & Toubro, equipped with advanced tools, joined the operation.
The L&T teams, experienced in rescue missions from Uttarakhand, have brought endoscopic and robotic cameras.
Collector of Nagarkurnool district Badavath Santosh reported that the rescue teams must navigate another 40 meters to reach the collapse site, where muck complicates further progress.
The L&T teams plan to utilize endoscopic and robotic cameras to sift through debris and communicate with any potential survivors at the tunnel’s end.
These advanced tools were used successfully in previous rescue efforts following the collapse of the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand, where 41 workers were saved after 17 days in 2023.
More than 48 hours after the collapse of a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, the fate of the eight individuals, which includes two engineers and two machine operators, remains uncertain.
The trapped workers hail from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Among those trapped are Project Manager Manoj Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Machine Engineer Srinivas (Uttar Pradesh), and machine operators Sunny Singh (J&K) and Gurpreet Singh (Punjab). The four from Jharkhand include Sandeep Sahu, Santosh Sahu, Anju Sahu, and Jagta Khes.
