SLBC Tunnel Collapse: Rescue operations in final stage; govt refutes reports of bodies being found

To speed up the rescue efforts, the authorities are implementing a well-structured plan, utilising advanced technology. The water inside the accident site is being pumped out, and debris is being cleared using plasma gas cutters, officials said

Hyderabad: The operation to rescue eight trapped persons in a partially collapsed tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district entered the final stage on Saturday, a week after the tragedy, with the government refuting reports of bodies being found.

Ambulances were kept ready near the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel amid intensified desilting and machine-cutting operations by multiple rescue teams.

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The rescue teams of Army, Navy, NDRF, SDRF, Singareni Mines Rescue, Fire Services, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), HYDRAA, South Central Railway plasma cutters, and Rat Miners were focussing on five locations identified by NGRI after scanning the accident site through Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).

The NGRI experts traced some soft material under the debris in the last 10-15 metres of the tunnel but were not sure whether it was the people trapped inside.

Five to seven-metre-high silt deposits have to be cleared at these five locations. The rescue workers were also busy repairing the conveyor belt.

Once this becomes functional, the pace of rescue operations is expected to gather further speed. Officials said continuous water seepage remained the biggest impediment in the rescue efforts.

Nagarkurnool District Collector Badavath Santosh on Friday night denied that rescue workers found bodies. He urged the media not to broadcast any such news without confirmation as it creates panic.

“NGRI has identified certain points but we can’t say it is 100 per cent correct. It can be metal or it can be something else. We are moving forward as per their finding,” the Collector said.

To speed up the rescue efforts, the authorities are implementing a well-structured plan, utilising advanced technology. The water inside the accident site is being pumped out, and debris is being cleared using plasma gas cutters, officials said.

The necessary rescue equipment is being kept ready to ensure swift operations. The conveyor belt will be brought into use as soon as possible, and excavators have been prepared to remove the sludge, they said. Special cameras and sensors are being used to continuously monitor the internal conditions of the tunnel.

Two workers were injured and eight others trapped when a portion of the tunnel roof collapsed on February 22 at the 14th km point.

The trapped persons have been identified as Manoj Kumar (UP), Sri Niwas (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahau, all from Jharkhand. Of the eight, two are engineers, two are operators and remaining four are labourers. They were employed by Jaiprakash Associates, the contracting firm for the tunnel project