SLBC tunnel collapse in Nagarkurnool: Several trapped, rescue operations underway

Hyderabad: In a tragic incident, at least seven workers were trapped after a section of roof fell in an under construction stretch in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel at 10 am on Saturday.

Three others received injuries in the tunnel incident which took place near Domalapenta of Amrabad mandal in Nagarkurnool district. They were admitted to nearby Genco hospital for treatment.

The incident occurred at the 14th-kilometer mark of the left tunnel. A total of 50 workers had resumed work just four days ago. Amid the roof collapse, 43 workers managed to escape while seven others including Gurjeet Singh (Punjab), Sanneet Singh (Jammu & Kashmir), Srinivasulu (UP), Manoj Rubena (UP), Sandeep (Jharkhand), Santosh (Jharkhand), and Jatka Hiran (Jharkhand) remain trapped in the tunnel.

Soon after the incident, the officials from the irrigation department and police launched rescue operations at the Srisailam tunnel.

“The accident occurred due to the slippage of the concrete segment covering the seepage at the 14th kilometre inlet (near Domalapenta) of the tunnel going from Srisailam to Devarakonda,” a statement from Minister for Roads and Buildings Komatireddy Venkat Reddy read.

State Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao, along with senior officials visited the site to assess the ongoing rescue operations. The District Collector and Superintendent of Police are overseeing the operations on the ground. A 19-member rescue team from Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. has been roped in to carry out the rescue operation.

The minister told reporters that the state government is seeking help from the Indian Army and the National Disaster Response Force to locate and save the workers. He added that they are also speaking to consulting experts who have helped in similar rescue operations in Uttarakhand in the past.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the SLBC tunnel incident. The chief minister is closely monitoring the rescue operations and getting real-time updates on the situation.

On the other hand, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay has urged immediate intervention from the National Disaster Response Force. The NDRF teams from Vijayawada and Hyderabad are on their way to the site to assist in the operations.