Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Govt aims rescue operations to wrap up in 2 days

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Telangana minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the government has developed a comprehensive action plan, including exploring alternative access routes and deploying advanced machinery for dewatering, aiming to conclude the SLBC tunnel rescue operations within two days.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: After eight people, including two engineers, got trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district due to a roof collapse, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Wednesday that the Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were called in to help with the rescue. He mentioned that the operation is likely to be completed in two days. The Telangana government has stepped up efforts by bringing in elite forces, national agencies, and advanced technology to ensure the workers’ safe evacuation.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Workers from Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh are demanding their unpaid wages from Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the firm handling the tunnel project. With work at a standstill, many fear job losses. Some say the tragedy has left them unwilling to return to the tunnels.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: The collapse has left both workers and their families deeply distressed. Those who witnessed the incident speak of fear and helplessness, while families of the trapped wait anxiously for updates. Many workers are unwilling to continue in such hazardous conditions and are calling to be sent home. As rescue efforts face challenges, uncertainty and tension continue to grow.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Telangana minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy visited the SLBC tunnel collapse site on Monday to assess the ongoing rescue operation, as multiple agencies continue efforts to save eight workers trapped since February 22. Meanwhile, minister Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that every possible effort was being made to rescue those inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: A team of expert miners, known for their role in the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue in Uttarakhand, has been deployed to save workers trapped inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana.

Rescuer Munna Qureshi acknowledged the challenges but expressed confidence in their determination to complete the mission.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: District Collector B Santhosh said as sludge started solidifying inside the SLBC tunnel, rescuers are planning to use sniffer dogs to locate those trapped, “So we have a sniffer dog. We will take it. So, with the dog's help, we will try to locate (the trapped)," the official told PTI, adding that the priority is to locate the individuals.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Telangana minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said it has been decided that the rescuers will go into the silt in the tunnel in search of the trapped men. He also acknowledged that the rescue operation slowed down on Tuesday keeping in view the safety of the lives of the rescuers.

Reddy also said that alternate access routes to reach the tunnel boring machine (TBM), which was stuck in the muck are also being explored to mitigate risk and improve the speed of the rescue mission. (PTI)

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that officials had come up with a full proof plan to minimise the risk for the rescuers involved in the rescue operation and it will also accelerate the speed.

“Yesterday and today till now we have assessed the situation and now we are telling you clearly how to minimise the risk for rescuers and how to go forward - we have made a concrete plan of action now. We will be going with greater speed for saving the survivors and for all rescue and relief operations,” he said.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao said, "Why is the Opposition making such statements? Save people first, only then have an inquiry. You too were a minister, but you don't care about the lives of people. Such statements demoralise people."

BRS Working President K T Rama Rao had sought a judicial probe into the incident, while Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy had dismissed the demand, stating that this is not the time for politics.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Congress MP from Nagarkurnool, Dr. Mallu Ravi said the state government is assisting officials involved in the rescue operations without interfering with technical details of the mission.

“That is a very unfortunate accident. As Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and (Komatireddy) Venkat Reddy said, whatever is required from the Government's side, we are ready to provide. Collector, SP and two State Officers have been deputed here. They are all monitoring and coordinating. So, we do not want to interfere with the technical work of the officials. We are only trying to provide whatever help is required. I hope that the 8 people will be alive,” said the MP.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy promised to finish the rescue operations in two days with greater speed.

“We will be going with greater speed to save the survivors and for all rescue and relief operations. We will finish everything in two days. Based on field inspection yesterday and today, we have taken a decision. We are going ahead with it now. To mitigate the risk, we are taking some other precautions and going forward. We are also exploring access from the side. We are also going to the main exit. Now, we have finalised a plan of action on how to mitigate the risk for rescuers and go in and save the survivors,” said the minister.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Munna Qureshi, a rat miner involved in rescue operations, said, “We are a total of 12 rat miners here. Our team rescued 41 workers in Uttarkashi...We also have to conduct a rescue operation here. There is some difficulty, but we will solve the problem and give you results. The situation is serious here. It is a big mission...The Collector wants to rescue all the workers.”

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: For over five hours, there has been no official update on the status of the rescue operation.

Earlier in the day, a team of experts engaged in rescuing the eight persons managed to reach the end of the tunnel and return. The teams have reached up to 50 meters before the end of the tunnel only due to muck and debris.

“A 20-member team comprising NDRF, SDRF and Rat Miners were able to reach the last points of the (tunnel). But there was a lot of debris. They are working out how to go about,” Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad told PTI.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Those trapped incident the tunnel have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand. Of the eight, two are engineers, two operators and four labourers.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: The in-charge of the shift observed sound and intuitively ordered evacuation and ran for safety as huge amounts of water, stones, sludge and mud came down from the roof and filled the entire area in length of about 300 meters.

Unfortunately, when the headcount was taken, it came to be known that eight workers which included two officers got trapped in the debris. (PTI)

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Rescue operation is underway to pull out the eight trapped men, with the agencies, however, being nowhere close to a breakthrough.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: “First, we want to say that the 44-km SLBC tunnel will be a boon to the people and farmers of Telangana. Do they (opposition) want everything to be politics? It is shameful,” says minister Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Jaiprakash Gaur, founder-chairman of Jaypee Group, the contracting firm of Srisailam Left Bank Canal project that suffered partial collapse trapping eight persons, on Wednesday said “accidents may happen during difficult works.”

Jaiprakash Associates Limited, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, was awarded the contract of tunnel boring of SLBC.

Speaking to reporters at the accident site after meeting minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Gaur said he had seen “six to seven accidents” during his professional career.

"In these difficult works, such things happen. In my life, I think there might be six or seven accidents, the Tehri (project), in Bhutan, in J&K, everywhere. You have to encounter all this," he said.

Gaur further said the teams are doing their best to see that those trapped individuals come out.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy inspects the rescue operation underway to pull out the workers trapped inside the SLBC tunnel.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: In a significant development, a team of experts engaged in rescuing the eight persons who have remained trapped for the past five days in the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel were able to reach the end of the tunnel and return, a senior police official said on Wednesday.

The teams so far were able to reach up to 50 meters before the end of the tunnel only due to muck and debris.

“A 20-member team comprising NDRF, SDRF and Rat Miners were able to reach the last points of the (tunnel). But there was a lot of debris. They are working out how to go about,” Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad told PTI.

“One day before they were able to reach up to 40 meters (before the end of the tunnel). Yesterday they reached (crossed) that 40 meters also,” the official further said. Gaikwad further said the team searched at the location but could not find anything last night.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: The Telangana government has written to the Centre seeking a seismological study at the accident site, The Hindu has reported.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: They are 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.

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: The family of Jammu man Sunny Singh, who is trapped inside, has accused his employers of not contacting them so far.

“I only want my son to return home safe and sound. It has been four days and he must be hungry. I appeal to the government to get him out as soon as possible,” his mother Chanchalo Devi said.

She appealed to prime minister Narendra Modi to “speed up” the rescue operation to get the eight trapped men safely out of the tunnel.

“We were talking to him (Sunny) on an almost daily basis, but we did not talk with him on that fateful day,” the mother said with tears rolling down her eyes.

(PTI)

Telangana tunnel collapse LIVE: Experts from 11 agencies including the Indian Army, the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) of Navy, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Geological Survey of India, rat-miners, and Singareni Collieries Company Limited are involved in the rescue efforts.