Telangana tunnel collapse: 8 workers still trapped as rescue enters day 5
More than 67 hours have passed since 8 workers got trapped in the world's longest water tunnel of 42 km being built in Nagarkurnool, 132 km from Hyderabad. A team of 584 people is engaged in the rescue operation. It includes experts from Army, Navy, NDRF, SDRF, IIT Chennai and L&T company. But till now no contact has been made with the trapped workers.
67 hours have passed since 8 workers got trapped in the world's longest water tunnel.
After this, now this work has been entrusted to 12 rat miners (laborers who dig mines like rats). They were the ones who rescued 41 workers trapped in Silkyara tunnel of Uttarakhand in 2023.
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A team of 6 rat miners has reached on Monday afternoon. The remaining team of 6 people will reach tomorrow (Wednesday). Right now, this team will go inside and only take stock of the situation.
Team of 6 rat miners has reached on Monday
Rescue will start after the meeting of Rat Miners team with NDRF and SDRF. Rescue may take more time due to water. Dry debris in Silkyara tunnel did not cause much problem.
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Navy personnel will help the Rat Miners team in this work. They will tell the right way of digging with the help of special push camera and robot of IIT Chennai. A part of Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on 22 February.
Digging with the help of special push camera and robot of IIT Chennai
As soon as they entered the tunnel, there was water and debris up to their knees, the rescue team returned. The rescue team had started rescue efforts on Sunday itself. The rescue team had inspected the accident site in the tunnel. It returned as there was no way to go inside.
On Monday, NDRF and SDRF personnel laid the train track by removing water with 5 pumps of 50-50 horsepower. Also, lighting was arranged in the tunnel. The team has reached close to the debris.
There was water and debris up to knees
The rescue team reached near the debris on Monday morning and called out the names of the employees for about half an hour, but there was no response from the other side.
Telangana government minister Jupally Krishna Rao had said that our efforts are on, but the chances of the employees surviving are low.
Rescue team reached near the debris
Endoscopic and robotic cameras were installed in the tunnel. Endoscopic and robotic cameras were installed in the tunnel for the rescue operation on Monday. Also, the help of NDRF dog squad is also being taken.
L&T endoscopic operator Dovdeep said, with the endoscopic camera we can see what is happening inside the tunnel. This was done during the rescue operation in Uttarakhand as well.
Summary
The accident happened on 22 February at around 8:30 am. About 3 meters of the tunnel roof collapsed 13 km inside the tunnel's entry point. During this time, about 60 people were working inside the tunnel.
52 people escaped with their lives, but 8 workers operating the tunnel boring machine (TBM) got trapped inside. These include 2 engineers, 2 machine operators and 4 labourers.
8 labourers trapped in the tunnel - 4 from Jharkhand, 2 from UP and 1 each from Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir
.