Authorities of the state of southern Telangana southern India are running against time to save eight construction workers trapped in a tunnel for more than 72 hours.
About fifty workers worked inside the 43 km tunnel (26.7 miles), located in the Nagarkurnool district, when part of its roof sold early Saturday morning.
The officials say that 43 of them managed to get out safely, but the efforts to reach the remaining eight men faced repeated setbacks due to the soil, mud and melting snow inside of the tunnel.
They were also unable to establish contact with trapped men or provide them with oxygen and other essential supplies.
Jappally Krishna Rao, a Minister of State supervising the rescue effort, told the PTI news agency that “the chances of their survival are very distant”.
On Monday, a team of experts from “rat hole minors” – people trained in narrow tunnel navigation – arrived to clean the debris and go to the workers. The same team had managed 41 construction workers trapped in a tunnel after a landslide in the Himalayan Uttarakhand state in 2023.
Until now, around 33 km of excavation have been completed and approximately 10 km, officials announced on Tuesday.
Rescuers use a train to get to a point where they have to climb on a treadmill to remove the debris. The reports indicate that they also continuously pumping water to ensure oxygen supply in the tunnel. But the rugged land of the region has slowed them down.
While rescue efforts are continuing, the families of workers trapped – most of whom are daily wage workers – are impatiently awaiting news from their loved ones.
“I just hope that this time, my son is safe. I will never send him back to win,” said Rampratap Sahu, a Jharkhand State resident.
Part of the SLISAIM STISAIML STISAIM STISAIM STISAIM’s Left Bank (SLBC) collapsed about 13 km from its opening at 8:30 am, local time (03:00 GMT) on Saturday.
The accident took place after a concrete slab covering the oozing on the roof slipped and fell. At least a dozen workers were injured in chaos.
The tunnel is part of the oldest irrigation project of the Telangana government. Located in a hilly forest area, it involves the Tigres Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam reserve which is the largest in India.
Officials said the construction work had resumed only four days before the accident after a difference of almost three years.
Various rescue teams, including the staff of the national force for response to disasters, firefighters and Indian army soldiers are there.
The officials told BBC Telugu that a team of firefighters was the first to enter Sunday.
“We have covered 11 km by train, 2 km by the treadmill and the remaining distance on foot,” said an official, who wanted to remain anonymous. “But then we hit a roadblock.”
“There were large mounds of mud and soft floor. The bore machine that was used by workers was lying, blocking the whole passage beyond.”
The rescuers said they had been forced to come back from this point because they did not have the tools and machines necessary to clean the melting snow.
“We shouted and shouted, whistled and pointed out of the torches, hoping for an answer but heard nothing.”
