Nagarkurnool: In a significant development, a team of experts engaged in rescuing the eight persons trapped for the past five days in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel roof collapse were able to reach the end of the tunnel and return, a senior police official said on Wednesday, February 26.
The teams have reached up to 50 meters before the end of the tunnel only due to muck and debris.
“A 20-member team comprising NDRF, SDRF and Rat Miners were able to reach the last points of the (tunnel). But there was a lot of debris. They are working out how to go about,” Nagarkurnool superintendent of police Vaibhav Gaikwad told PTI.
“A day before, they reach up to 40 meters (before the end of the tunnel). Yesterday they reached (crossed) that 40 meters also,” the official said.
Gaikwad further said the team searched at the location but could not find anything last night.
Replying to a query, he said the Geological Survey of India team which has collected samples is yet to submit its reports on soil strength and others.
Top experts from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, GSI and other agencies are making relentless efforts to find a breakthrough in the collapsed SLBC tunnel roof collapse rescue work amidst the threat to the lives of rescuers’ with the continuous flow of silt and water, continued their operations on Wednesday.
Addressing media persons, state irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy cited experts describing the rescue operation as one of the most complex and difficult in the world or at least in India as there is only one entry or exit to the SLBC tunnel.
So far, there has been no communication or response from the eight rapped workers. Oxygen is continuously being pumped, the minister said.
‘Accidents may happen during SLBC tunnel rescue operation’
Founder chairman of Jaypee Group Jaiprakash Gaur said accidents may happen during difficult works. Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, was awarded the contract for tunnel boring of SLBC.
Speaking to reporters at the accident site after meeting state roads and building minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said he had seen six to seven accidents during his professional career. “In these difficult works, such things happen. In my life, I think there might be six or seven accidents, the Tehri (project), in Bhutan, in J&K, everywhere. You have to encounter all this,” he said.
Two engineers and four labourers of the eight trapped persons are working for Jaiprakash Associates.
What happened on Feb 22
On the fateful day of February 22, the in charge of the shift observed sound and intuitively ordered an evacuation and ran for safety as huge amounts of water, stones, sludge and mud came down from the roof and filled the entire area of about 300 meters.
Unfortunately, when the headcount was taken, it came to be known that eight workers which included two officers got trapped in the debris. With the response team, medical team and support of departmental officers, and district administration, efforts have been going on to retrieve the trapped workmen and officials.
