Nagarkurnool: The Telangana government is working with the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF and all other tunnel experts in the country to try and save the eight persons who remained trapped for the past 30 hours inside a tunnel after a section of it collapsed in the SLBC project, minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said on Sunday.
Reddy, who is camping at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project site and overseeing the rescue operations, hoped that the trapped persons would be saved by this evening.
“I’m monitoring on a minute-to-minute basis. The government of Telangana is working with the Indian Army, Indian Navy, NDRF, and all other tunnel experts in the country to try and save the situation here,” he told PTI videos.
He further said about 70 people were working in the tunnel when the collapse happened and most of them could escape and return by their internal train or locomotive there. “But eight people have been missing since yesterday. We are hoping and praying that they are safe, and we are hoping and praying that we can recover them, retrieve them, and save them by this evening,” Reddy said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy further said the SLBC project was sanctioned 35 years ago and works commenced about 30 years ago. Of the 44 kms, work on about 9 kms remains to be carried out, he said. “We are trying to save the lives of the eight persons who went missing,” he said.
He earlier said work on the “world’s longest tunnel of 44 kms” began to draw water from the Srisailam project to irrigate four lakh acres in the Nalgonda district.
Telangana governor speaks to Nagarkurnool collector
Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma on Sunday spoke with Nagarkurnool District Collector B Santhosh over the phone to receive an update on the ongoing rescue operations following the tunnel collapse in the district.
According to a communique from the Raj Bhavan, the Governor was briefed on the efforts to ensure the safe return of individuals trapped in the collapsed tunnel.
The District Collector provided detailed updates, informing that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Army, along with experts, are actively involved in the rescue mission.
The Governor directed the authorities to continue their intensive efforts to ensure the safe return of those trapped in the tunnel.
He has also emphasized the need to expedite the rescue operations and instructed officials to keep him posted of the developments, it said.
As many as eight people remained trapped for the past 30 hours inside a tunnel after a section of it collapsed in the SLBC project in Nagarkurnool district.
Minister for R&B yet to respond
However, Telangana’s Minister of Roads and Buildings, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, has yet to comment or address the media regarding the incident.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with him over the phone, inquiring about the incident.
“I explained the relief measures taken by the state government, and the Prime Minister assured necessary support from the Centre,” he added further.
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