Nagarkurnool (Telangana) [India], February 22 : Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that the state government was making every possible effort to safely rescue the eight workers trapped inside the SLBC tunnel at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, according to the statement.
He emphasised that all available resources, including specialised rescue teams from Singareni and the Indian Army, were being mobilised to handle the crisis.
"This is an unfortunate incident, but we are committed to bringing them out safely. The state government was leaving no stone unturned. The fire and disaster management teams, irrigation officials, and the police department were working together under senior officers' supervision. Additionally, the Army rescue team was expected to reach the site by that night, and we had reached out to experts who had handled similar tunnel incidents in Uttarakhand," Uttam Kumar Reddy stated during a press briefing.
Upon receiving information about the accident on Saturday morning, the minister rushed to the accident site and later held a high-level review meeting at the JP Guest House in Domalapenta.
The meeting was attended by Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, Telangana Fire and Rescue Director General Narayana Rao, Inspector General Satyanarayana, the Nagarkurnool Collector, and officials from Robin Company, which was involved in the tunnel excavation. The officials assessed the ground situation and formulated immediate rescue strategies.
According to initial reports, the tunnel collapse had occurred due to a sudden inflow of water and soil, covering nearly 8 km of the excavation site. The JP Associates and Robin Company, responsible for tunnel boring, stated that the incident had taken place within 30 minutes of starting work at 8 AM.
A loud noise had been heard before water and soil rushed into the tunnel, causing workers to scramble for safety. Those positioned near the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) had managed to escape, while workers in the front section of the tunnel got trapped. The excavation was immediately halted, and supervisors quickly evacuated as many workers as possible, said the statement.
Authorities confirmed that the ventilation system inside the tunnel remained functional, ensuring oxygen supply to the trapped workers. Ambulances and medical teams had been placed on high alert, with doctors ready to provide emergency care.
The trapped workers included Manoj Kumar (Project Engineer) from Uttar Pradesh, Srinivas (Field Engineer) from Uttar Pradesh, Sandeep Sahu (Worker) from Jharkhand, Jataks (Worker) from Jharkhand, Santosh Sahu (Worker) from Jharkhand, Anuj Sahu (Worker) from Jharkhand, Sunny Singh (Worker) from Jammu & Kashmir, and Gurpreet Singh (Worker) from Punjab.
Minister Reddy revealed that the state government, in consultation with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, had decided to involve Army rescue teams along with Singareni teams that specialise in mine rescues. He assured that these teams would employ advanced drilling and excavation techniques to reach the trapped workers as quickly as possible.
Additionally, tunnel rescue teams that had successfully handled similar operations in Uttarakhand had also been contacted. He said that when a similar tunnel accident had happened in Uttarakhand, those teams had rescued workers without casualties, and now they were being brought here for assistance.
The fire department and disaster management teams were working under DG Narayana Rao, with police teams led by IG Satyanarayana providing security. A medical support team had been stationed at the site with ambulances and emergency staff on standby. Irrigation department officials were continuously monitoring the situation and coordinating rescue efforts.
Addressing safety concerns, Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated that JP Associates and Robin Company had the full support of the Telangana government in managing the crisis. He said Robin Company was a globally recognised firm in tunnel excavation, and JP Associates had extensive experience in infrastructure projects.
The government was ensuring that all necessary technical support and logistics were provided to these companies to speed up the rescue operation.
He further stated that the government was fully focused on bringing out all eight trapped workers alive. He assured that this was the government's top priority, and they would not rest until the workers were safe. Officials were working round the clock, and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was closely monitoring the situation.
With specialised teams in action and continuous monitoring from the highest levels of the state government, authorities remained hopeful for a successful rescue operation.