Nagarkurnool, Telangana – Rescue operations at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel have ramped up as teams work tirelessly to free eight individuals trapped since a partial collapse on February 22. Authorities have increased personnel and equipment to accelerate silt removal at locations where the trapped persons were detected, officials reported on Sunday.

A damaged conveyor belt, critical for clearing debris, is expected to be repaired by Monday, enhancing efforts to remove muck from the site. Continuous silt removal and dewatering operations are underway, with additional resources deployed to key areas. On Saturday, a significant advancement occurred when scientists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) employed Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to locate four of the eight trapped individuals, identifying anomalies that have guided the rescue efforts.

Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao indicated that the remaining four are likely trapped beneath the tunnel boring machine, and their rescue could take longer. Addressing the condition of the four whose locations were confirmed, the minister expressed pessimism about their chances of survival. The operation, involving 18 organizations, 54 officials, and 703 personnel, remains in full swing, according to the state Disaster Management department.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is scheduled to visit the site on Sunday evening to review progress and consult with officials overseeing the mission. The trapped individuals, a mix of engineers and laborers, have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand. Rescue teams continue their efforts to bring them to safety.