Hyderabad: A frantic rescue operation is underway to save eight workers trapped for over 48 hours inside a collapsed tunnel near the Srisailam dam in Telangana. However, officials fear that their chances of survival are very slim as rescuers battle through heaps of muck and rising water levels.
The 44-km-long tunnel, which collapsed on Saturday morning, was undergoing repair when disaster struck. While most workers managed to escape, four labourers and four construction company employees remain trapped inside, with no contact since the incident.
Rescue teams, including the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), state agencies, and Navy commandos, are working tirelessly to reach them. Experts from the 2023 Silkyara tunnel operation in Uttarakhand have also joined efforts.
With the collapse site located 13 km from the tunnel’s entrance, rescuers have almost reached the final 100 meters. However, unstable boulders, water gushing through cracks, and massive piles of muck are hampering the mission.
Telangana Minister Krishna Rao, overseeing the operation, admitted the dire situation:
“The muck has piled up too high, making it impossible to walk. Rescuers are using rubber tubes and wooden planks to navigate. Survival chances are very, very remote, but we are not giving up.”
Leaders across the country, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, have assured full support. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is closely monitoring the situation and has instructed officials to drain water and ensure oxygen supply.
Rescuers are working relentlessly, exploring alternative routes in a desperate bid to reach the trapped workers before time runs out.
