Telangana tunnel collapse: 72 hours on, rescuers scramble to inch forward, no contact with trapped men

On Tuesday, efforts are on to clear the locomotive track so that equipment for dewatering and slush removal can be taken to the site of the collapse. A path is also being cleared to take earthmoving machines into the tunnel.

Nagarkurnool Police Superintendent Vaibhav Gaikwad told The Indian Express on Tuesday that no contact has been established with the eight men trapped inside.

“As of now, the rescue teams are trying to clear the path for the locomotive to reach the spot of the mishap. There are challenges in operating heavy machines to clear the mud at the spot, although a bulldozer has been pressed into service there. Dewatering is going on continuously. They are removing whatever debris they can. Removing parts of the twisted and mangled tunnel boring machine is proving to be a challenging task,” Gaikwad said.

Officials said reaching the front portion of the boring machine is the key as that is where the eight men are likely to be trapped, but it is proving to be difficult as it is covered with a thick layer of mud and debris.

Relatives of at least two of the eight men will be reaching the SLBC site later on Tuesday. Jitu Sahu, father of construction worker Sandeep Sahu, and Satyanarayana Sahu, uncle of construction worker Santosh Sahu, will arrive from Jharkhand.

Meanwhile, a team of 12 rat-hole miners from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, who were lauded for their efforts in the rescue of 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel in 2023, have also reached the SLBC tunnel site, The Indian Express has learnt.