Telangana news – 2025-02-23 Rescue operation underway after tunnel collapse in Telangana FOUR workers are still missing after a portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana state on February 22 at around 8: 30 a. m. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) responded to the alarm with 145 NDRF personnel, 120 SDRF jawans and an engineering regiment from Secunderabad on standby. Authorities are facing tough conditions to rescue the eight—2 engineers, 2 machine operators and 4 labourers—trapped near the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). Fifty-two of the 60 workers rescued so far escaped, but the fate of the eight—who hail from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir—is still unknown.
Harrowing Conditions Hamper Rescue Efforts
Rescue effort faces hurdles 14 klm into tunnel (CNN)The rescue effort faces obstacles 14 kilometers into the tunnel, with knee-deep mud and water blocking the way, SDRF officials said. There is no direct path to the workers, they said. Rescuers have made 13 klm with a locomotive, but are stalled 11 klm in because of a conveyor belt obstruction, the agency said. The workers have not answered calls, and their location is unknown, SDRF officials said. Within 200 meters, thick sludge is hampering progress, but isn’t draining water, SDRF officials said. A 100-horsepower pump is ordered. Oxygen is being pumped into the tunnel for any survivors. “The operation is complicated, it’s urgent and it’s difficult, ” said Guo Wenxin, a senior official with the rescue operation.
Trapped Workers: Profiles of Courage and Desperation
8 workers trapped in mine in Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand ‘The eight workers trapped in the mine are a reflection of the diversity of the Indian labour force. ’ – Arjun Prasad Srinivas (48), a junior engineer from Matiganj, Chandauli in Uttar Pradesh, has been working with JP Company in Hyderabad since 2008. – Manoj Kumar (50), an engineer from Matkuri village, Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, is Arjun Prasad’s son. – Gurpreet Singh, from Punjab, a Tarn Taran resident who has completed 10th standard, went back to work 20 days ago after leaving his mother, wife and two daughters (aged 16 and 13) on the less than 2-acre family land. The group includes 4 labourers from Jharkhand and 1 from Jammu and Kashmir, all killed in a tragic incident while helping a critical infrastructure project. Their families await news as rescue teams move closer.
A Region Plagued by Construction Mishaps
This tunnel accident isn’t the first incident to occur on an infrastructure project in Telangana. In August 2024, a retaining wall near the Nagarjunasagar Dam in Sunkishala collapsed, prompting political blame games between the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress. BRS accused the Congress government of negligence, demanding a judicial probe, while Congress said the project began under BRS rule and blamed poor construction quality. The frequent accidents raise questions about oversight and safety standards in the region’s ambitious infrastructure projects. As the rescue effort continues, authorities and the public face the human cost and the need for stricter safety measures in future projects.
