Hyderabad, Feb 23 (IANS) Rescue teams from the NDRF, the Army and other agencies continued their efforts to save eight persons trapped in a collapsed under-construction tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district by pumping out water and clearing debris.
The teams were racing against time to reach the 14th-kilometre point where the roof of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on Saturday.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army, the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) and the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) were making intensive efforts.
About 250 personnel of the NDRF, State Disaster Response Force and 24 personnel each of the Army, the SCCL, and the HYDRAA were facing the challenge of dewatering and desilting the tunnel for a length of about 100 metres to reach the spot.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was supervising the rescue operation, said all efforts were being made to pull out the trapped men safely. He said the possibility of reaching the spot by digging the tunnel from the top was being explored.
“All required equipment and best technology is being used. Army is participating in the rescue efforts and the help of the Navy is also being sought,” he told media persons.
NDRF Deputy Commandant Sukhendu Datta said that the task is challenging as the water is filled in the tunnel for about two kilometres.
“Our heavy equipment can’t reach the accident spot. Water has to be pumped out for the equipment to move in to clear the debris,” he said.
He said the rescue teams called out trapped men but there was no response. “We can’t say where are trapped men are and in what condition,” he said.
Fishing boats, tyres, and wooden planks were being mobilised for the rescue workers to cross the flooded part of the tunnel.
At least two workers were injured and eight others were trapped when a portion of the tunnel being dug as part of the SLBC collapsed near Domalapenta.
A total of 50 persons were working on the left-side tunnel when the roof collapsed for three metres.
While 42 workers came out of the tunnel, the remaining eight were trapped. Those trapped include two engineers and two machine operators. The trapped men are from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Nagarkurnool district Collector Badavath Santosh said the efforts were being made for dewatering and desilting to move forward.
Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Reddy held a meeting with officials of the NDRF, the Army, and other agencies involved.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the incident and assured that the government would extend all possible help to the families of the victims.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to the Chief Minister over the phone, enquired about the incident and assured all support from the Central government.
Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to the Chief Minister on Sunday and enquired about the rescue operations.
The state government had recently resumed the construction work on the tunnel to complete the long-pending project. The construction firm had started work four days ago and on Saturday morning, 50 workers entered the tunnel for the work.
Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said the work was started on the tunnel after a survey by the Geological Survey of India. He told the media that the company which was hired for the work has a good record in digging tunnels.
He said soon after the work began on Saturday morning, water started entering the tunnel and soil caved in. “The workers who came out said they heard an explosion, which could be a geological disturbance,” he said, adding that those who were in front of the boring machine were trapped in the tunnel.
–IANS
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