Eight Workers Trapped After Telangana Tunnel Collapse
Rescue operations are underway after a roof collapse in the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel left eight workers stranded 14 kilometers inside.
- The incident occurred in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, where a portion of the roof in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel collapsed during excavation work early Saturday morning.
- Of the 51 workers present at the site, 43 managed to escape, with eight workers, including two engineers, trapped behind a Tunnel Boring Machine.
- Rescue efforts involve teams from the NDRF, SDRF, and Singareni Collieries Company, with additional support requested from the Indian Army and experts from a similar Uttarakhand rescue operation in 2023.
- Challenges in the rescue include darkness, structural instability, and water seepage creating slush inside the tunnel, though the ventilation system remains operational to supply oxygen.
- Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have assured full support for rescue operations, while opposition leaders have criticized the government for alleged negligence in project management.