Nagarkurnool (Telangana): Telangana Chief Secretary Shanti Kumari, accompanied by Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupalli Krishna Rao, visited the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel and held a review meeting with rescue officials regarding the ongoing operation. The rescue mission is focused on saving eight workers trapped after the tunnel’s roof collapsed on February 22.
Ambulances and Army medical teams, fully equipped with necessary supplies, are stationed at the site. However, the rescue teams are facing difficulties due to water and slush in the tunnel. Efforts have been made today to remove the sludge to help facilitate the rescue work.
Family members of the trapped workers are anxious and awaiting updates. One relative of Gurpreet Singh, one of the workers, expressed frustration, stating that they had not received any information about the operation and that their request to enter the tunnel was denied.
On Friday, an official informed ANI that a coordinated effort involving mining experts from Singareni, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Indian Army, and other agencies was underway. An officer mentioned that initially 20 personnel were deployed, and the team size had been increased to 200 in recent days, with experienced Singareni staff leading the rescue due to their expertise in underground work and emergency situations.
Nagarkurnool SP Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath confirmed the presence of teams from Singareni, NDRF, SDRF, Army, and company officials. He stated that the sludge removal process has been ongoing since yesterday, and they are hopeful for positive results soon.
Congress MLA Dr. Chikkudu Vamshi noted that the relief efforts are ongoing on the seventh day since the incident. He mentioned that 12 different departments are collaborating to speed up the operation, with the Singareni mine personnel playing a vital role in the rescue.
