Eight workers remain trapped beneath the collapsed roof of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) in Domalapenta, located in the Nagarkurnool district of Telangana.
A robust team of approximately 350 personnel, comprising members from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Indian Army, Singareni Collieries, as well as local police and fire services, has managed to advance 13.5 kilometers into the tunnel as of Sunday evening.
According to Nagarkurnool District Collector Santosh, the rescuers are currently facing challenges reaching the trapped individuals due to blockages caused by water and mud within the tunnel. He stated that efforts are underway to pump out the water and clear the mud using bulldozers in order to access the area where the workers are trapped.
Telangana’s Irrigation Minister, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, has been on-site since yesterday, providing oversight to the rescue operations.
The roof collapse occurred at the 14-kilometer mark of the canal, which spans a total length of 43.93 kilometers, on Saturday morning, triggered by water leakage. At the time of the incident, 50 workers were in the tunnel; 42 managed to escape, including 13 who were injured, but eight workers were unfortunately trapped inside.
