Telangana tunnel collapse: Rat-hole miners join rescue operations at SLBC mishap site

They were part of the successful rescue operation during the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel mishap in Uttarakhand in 2023

Hyderabad: At a time when established rescue organisations are struggling to make progress in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse, a lesser known team of rat-hole miners have proved to be a source of big hope.

A team of just 12, the rat-hole miners, were part of the successful rescue operation during the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel mishap in Uttarakhand in 2023.

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At the request of the Nagarkurnool District Collector, six of them were airlifted from Delhi to Hyderabad on Monday. They reached the SLBC tunnel with their equipment. Six others of the team are expected by Tuesday.

Rat miners have played a crucial role in different rescue missions. Their expertise in navigating narrow and challenging underground spaces was instrumental in manually digging through the collapsed sections and creating evacuation passages to reach the trapped workers.

The team became popular after rescuing some 41 workers trapped in the under-construction tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand on November 12, 2023. They saved all the trapped workers braving hazardous conditions showcasing the determination and resilience.

Rat-hole mining involves the digging of narrow tunnels, just large enough for a single person to crawl through, to extract coal or other minerals. This technique is commonly used in regions where mechanised mining is not feasible due to difficult terrain. The miners use manual tools like pickaxes, shovels, and baskets to extract minerals.

Firoz Qureshi, a member of the rat miner team said that the team was sent from Delhi as the ‘Collector has called us’. He said the team would assist the operations being spearheaded by the NDRF.