Rescue teams working to free eight people trapped in a collapsed section of the SLBC tunnel have begun cutting through parts of the Tunnel Boring Machine and other obstacles blocking access to their location. Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Gaikwad, stated that repairs to the damaged conveyor belt inside the tunnel are expected to be completed today, which will help in clearing debris. When asked about the progress, an official confirmed that gas-cutting machines had already been brought in and cutting operations had started the previous night.

Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the stuck Tunnel Boring Machine would be cut into smaller pieces using gas cutters and removed. Once this is done, rescue teams from the Army, Navy, NDRF, and Rat Miners will make another attempt to locate and save the trapped individuals while ensuring their own safety. When asked whether the missing workers could be found today, the SP said he could not confirm. Meanwhile, some workers involved in the tunnel project have reportedly started leaving the site due to fear.

A senior government official mentioned that around 800 workers are engaged in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project, with 300 being locals and the rest from states like Jharkhand, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. While there is some apprehension among workers after the accident, the company has provided residential camps for them, and there are no reports of a mass exodus.

The eight workers were trapped on February 22 when a portion of the tunnel collapsed. Former minister and BRS leader T Harish Rao is expected to visit the SLBC project today along with his party colleagues. Reacting to the incident, Jaypee Group Founder Chairman Jaiprakash Gaur acknowledged that accidents can occur during challenging construction projects but assured that rescue teams are making every effort to bring out those trapped.

Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the firm responsible for tunnel boring, confirmed that among the eight trapped individuals, two are engineers, two are operators, and four are laborers. The trapped workers have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahau from Jharkhand.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.