Indian Army joined the ongoing rescue operations at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) in Telangana to bring out stranded workers, who were trapped when the tunnel's roof collapsed in the Nagarkurnool district. 

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At least eight people were trapped inside after a section of the roof collapsed in the under-construction stretch in the tunnel on Saturday (Feb 22). The incident occurred around 8.30 am (IST). 

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After almost 24 hours, Sukhendu, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Deputy Commander, gave an important update on the rescue operations. He told the news agency ANI, "Yesterday at around 10 PM, we went inside the tunnel to analyse the situation. Out of the 13 km distance inside the tunnel, we covered 11 km on this locomotive and the remaining 2 km, we covered on the conveyor belt." 

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The official added that when the team reached the end of the TMV (Tunnel Boring Machine), they tried to establish contact with the trapped workers by calling out their names, but they could not find anything. 

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Srisailam Left Bank Canal 

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The Srisailam Left Bank Canal is an irrigation project, which aims to provide irrigation water to the Nalgonda district by drawing water from the Srisailam reservoir through tunnels. 

The SLBC project is a critical part of the Srisailam Dam project, which is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in India. The dam is constructed across the Krishna River and has a capacity of 1670 MW. 

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Why rescue has become a daunting task? 

The rescue efforts have become a daunting task as officials have reported that the tunnel was blocked with mud reaching knee level, making direct access impossible. 

A State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) official stated, "There's no chance to go to the spot inside the tunnel. It has completely collapsed and mud is reaching up to the knees. We will have to take another step." 

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While speaking to ANI, Sukhendu said that there is a 200-metre patch filled with debris. Until this debris is cleaned, the rescue team will not be able to find out the exact location of the trapped workers and rescue them. 

Water is filled in the patch between 11-13 km of the tunnel, and until water is removed, debris cleaning work will not start, Sukhendu said, further adding that the first team reached around 7:00 pm on Saturday. 

"To rescue the trapped workers, first we need to complete the dewatering process and then remove the debris...The exact location of the trapped workers is yet to be ascertained," he added. 

(With inputs from agencies)