NEW DELHI: 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, Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said on Monday.
The rescue team has been joined by rat miners, who previously helped save construction workers from the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand in 2023, to assist in extracting the trapped men.
Officials indicate that the rescue operation will require three to four days minimum, given the substantial amount of debris and muck at the accident location, presenting significant challenges for the rescue teams.
“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 up to 25 feet”, he said.
“When we shouted their names also, there was no response…so, there is no chance at all,” he said.
The eight individuals trapped in the tunnel collapse include 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 from Jharkhand. They have been trapped for over 48 hours.
The trapped individuals comprise two engineers, two operators and four labourers.
Krishna Rao confirmed that debris clearance operations are ongoing with various equipment deployed.
He explained that the Tunnel Boring Machine, weighing several hundred tonnes, was displaced approximately 200 metres following the collapse due to water surge.
“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 questioned, despite continuous oxygen pumping and dewatering efforts.
“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 stated, who supervised rescue operations alongside Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy.
Rao indicated that they are restoring the conveyor belt to facilitate debris removal.
Despite continuous rescue efforts by the Indian Army, NDRF, and other agencies, no success has been achieved in rescuing the eight individuals trapped for over 48 hours inside the tunnel following its partial collapse at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal project in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Saturday.