Survival Chances Of 8 Trapped Workers 'Bleak'; Team Silkyara Joins Telangana Tunnel Rescue Op
Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao informed that a team of rat miners, who had rescued the construction workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand, has joined the rescue teams
Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao on Monday said that the chances of survival of the eight persons who remain trapped in the SLBC tunnel after a partial collapse two days ago are "very remote," though every effort is being made to reach them.
He informed that a team of rat miners, who had rescued the construction workers trapped in the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023, has joined the rescue teams to extricate the men.
related stories
- Telangana Mishap: Muck Affect Rescue Ops, No Light At Tunnel-End As Huge Debris Piles Up
- Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Minister Says Hoping To Complete Rescue Ops In 2 Days
- Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Rescue Efforts Intensify To Save 8 Trapped Workers
- 8 Workers Still Trapped Under Telangana Tunnel, Rescue Teams Drain Out Water | Top Updates
The Minister further said that the rescue mission would take at least three to four days to reach the final stage, as the accident site is filled with muck and debris, making it a daunting task for the rescuers.
"To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote. Because, I myself went up to the end, almost just 50 meters short (of the mishap site). When we took photographs, the end (of the tunnel) was visible. And out of the 9-meter diameter (of the tunnel)–almost 30 feet, out of that 30 feet, mud has piled up to 25 feet", he said.
"When we shouted their names also, there was no response…so, there is no chance at all," he added.
8 Men Trapped For 48 Hours
Despite relentless efforts by the Indian Army, NDRF, and other agencies, no breakthrough has been achieved so far in the rescue operations to extricate the eight persons who have remained trapped for over 48 hours inside the tunnel after a section of it collapsed in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Saturday.
The authorities have roped in endoscopic and robotic cameras at the tunnel site to intensify the rescue efforts with the help of advanced technology. NDRF Dog squad have also been deployed to assist in the operation
Who Are The Trapped Workers?
The persons who have been trapped in the collapsed tunnel for the past 48 hours have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh (Jammu and Kashmir), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.
Of the eight, two are engineers, two are operators and four are labourers, according to officials.
Krishna Rao said the process of clearing the debris is underway with several machinery in place. According to him, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which weighs a few hundred tons, got almost flushed away by about 200 meters after the collapse due to the gushing water.
"Even, even assuming they (the trapped persons) are in the lower part of the TBM machine, assuming even if it is intact on the top, where is the air (oxygen)? Underneath, how the oxygen will go," he asked though pumping of oxygen and dewatering have been continuously done.
"For removing all the debris and all that, in spite of all types of efforts, all types of organizations (working), it takes, I think it takes not less than 3-4 days (to extricate the people)," Rao, who had overseen the rescue operations along with Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, said.
Rao said the conveyor belt was being restored at the tunnel to clear the debris.
- Location :
- First Published: