Eight persons were trapped inside after a section of roof collapsed in the under construction stretch in the tunnel of Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project, Telangana Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Saturday.
Speaking to reporters at the accident site in Nagarkurnool district, he said the state government is taking the help of experts, including those who rescued the trapped workers in an incident in Uttarakhand last year, and sought the help of the Indian Army and NDRF.
Those trapped include two engineers, two machine operators and four workers.
The personnel were trapped 14 kms inside the tunnel. The seepage of water and soil began slowly and increased later prompting the workers to come out. They also heard a loud sound as they felt some "geological disturbance" outside the tunnel, he said.
Those working ahead of a boring machine inside the tunnel were stuck there, he said.
"Our government is doing everything to save the lives of those eight persons. We also spoke to the experts involved in saving the individuals in the Uttarakhand incident," he said.
The personnel of state fire service, Disaster Response Force were also ready to join the effort, Reddy said.
The rescue effort is planned to be undertaken after the geological disturbance stabilises, he said.
"Because, it is 14 kms inside, there will be some challenges. But, we are getting the best tunnel experts in the country to oversee the rescue efforts," Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Asked if oxygen would be provided to those trapped, the minister quoted officials as saying that ventilation would not be a problem.
The rescue personnel would reach the site by Saturday night.
A 19-member team from state owned coal mining firm, Singareni Collieries Company Ltd., has left for SLBC to join rescue operations to extract the trapped workers.
According to a top official of the company, SCCL has the expertise in rescuing people in such incidents and also has necessary equipment. The rescue team from the company is headed by a general manager level officer.
Uttam Kumar Reddy and senior officials are overseeing relief operations.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was constantly reviewing the situation and he instructed the officials to expedite the rescue operation to save those trapped, an official release said.
Expressing concern over the accident, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy enquired about the reasons for the collapse and asked officials to bring out those feared trapped to safety. He also told the officials to provide treatment to the injured (if any), a release from his office said.
Though the CM’s statement did not specify the number of injuries, it confirmed that some workers had suffered injuries.
Following the CM’s orders, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, advisor Adityanath Das, and senior irrigation officials have flown to the site in a special helicopter to oversee the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy has also expressed concern and instructed officials to ensure the trapped workers are rescued safely and the injured receive immediate medical attention.
The accident has sparked political backlash, with BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) blaming CM Revanth Reddy for the incident.
"The Chief Minister must take full responsibility for the SLBC tunnel accident," KTR stated on X (formerly Twitter). He also criticized the government, calling the accident proof of poor governance, especially after the Sunkishala retaining wall collapse.
KTR further alleged that such incidents occur because of corruption, lack of supervision, and poor construction standards.
"These accidents happen due to contractors working hand in hand with officials, lack of proper monitoring, and a complete compromise on quality. If workers are still trapped, they must be rescued on a war footing," he added.
Emergency teams, including disaster response units, police, and fire services, are working to clear debris and safely evacuate the trapped workers. Authorities are also analysing the tunnel’s structure to prevent further risks during the operation.
The situation remains critical, and efforts are focused on rescuing the workers as soon as possible.
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