After over 48 hours, the trapped workers' conditions is still unknown. The rescue operation, now bolstered by the Silkyara team and rat-hole mining experts, continues against the odds. With water, silt, and unstable rubble impeding every step, the mission teeters between desperation and determination. For the eight trapped souls, at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel, time is running out, and for Telangana, this tragedy underscores the human cost of ambitious infrastructure dreams gone awry as the challenges are daunting.
Nagarkurnool District Collector B. Santhosh reported that despite reaching the 13.5-kilometer mark and calling out to the workers, no response has been received, leaving their condition unknown. “There’s no communication with those trapped,” he said, a grim indicator as the hours tick by. The tunnel’s depth, approximately 500 feet below ground, and the thick rock sheets overhead have ruled out drilling from above, forcing teams to rely solely on clearing the tunnel from within.
The devastating incident struck Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district when a section of the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed, trapping eight workers deep underground. The collapse occurred around 8:30 a.m., roughly 14 kilometers into the 44-kilometer-long irrigation tunnel, a critical project designed to deliver 30 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna River water to the fluoride-affected and drought-prone regions of Nalgonda district. As of February 24, over 48 hours later, rescue operations remain in full swing, but hope is fading fast, with Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao admitting that the chances of survival for the trapped workers are “very, very remote”.
The disaster unfolded during routine excavation work involving a tunnel boring machine (TBM). Around 50 workers were inside the tunnel when a three-meter section of the roof gave way at the 13.5-kilometer mark, near Domalapenta village. Continuous water seepage, exacerbated by vibrations from the TBM, is believed to have destabilised the natural rock formations, triggering the collapse. While 42 workers managed to escape, eight, comprising two engineers and six laborers, were trapped beyond the TBM, caught in a narrow pocket between the collapsed roof and the machine. The trapped individuals include project engineer Manoj Kumar and field engineer Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, laborers Sandeep Sahu, Jagta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand, Sunny Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, and Gurpreet Singh from Punjab.
Rescue efforts kicked off immediately, with a massive mobilisation of over 300 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Indian Army, Singareni Collieries, and the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. By Sunday, teams had reached the TBM site, 13.5 kilometers inside the tunnel, using a train typically employed to ferry workers and materials. However, their progress stalled at a 200-meter stretch of debris, water, and silt that has turned the tunnel into a treacherous quagmire. “Muck has piled up too high inside the tunnel, making it impossible to walk through,” Krishna Rao explained after inspecting the site. Rescuers are navigating this perilous terrain with rubber tubes and wooden planks, while additional motors pump out water and oxygen is piped in to sustain any survivors.
Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, who rushed to the site alongside Krishna Rao, has spearheaded the response, roping in experts from the Army and NDRF who tackled the 2023 Silkyara tunnel rescue in Uttarakhand, where 41 workers were saved after 17 days. “The natural rock formations became loose, causing sudden water and mud inflow that filled 12–13 feet of the tunnel,” Reddy explained, emphasising the technical complexity of the crisis. Dewatering operations are ongoing, but the terrain has made it nearly impossible to deploy heavy machinery effectively. “We’re exploring every alternative to clear the mud and debris,” he added, refusing to spare any effort despite the bleak outlook.
The incident has drawn national attention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday, offering full central assistance, while Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, urged the state to leave no stone unturned. Reddy, who has been monitoring the situation round-the-clock, expressed shock online, vowing support for the affected families. Meanwhile, BJP leader N. Ramchander Rao praised the swift deployment of NDRF and Army units but called for a probe into the collapse’s causes once the rescue concludes.
For the workers’ families, the wait is agonizing. Fears mount that debris, including concrete slabs, may have crushed the trapped men, though the intact ventilation system offers a sliver of hope. Krishna Rao, reflecting on survivors who swam to safety, noted, “We’re hopeful, but the seriousness of this incident can’t be understated.” The SLBC project, languishing for over two decades under previous governments, has faced criticism, with Reddy slamming the BRS leadership for politicizing the tragedy instead of supporting rescue efforts.