At least eight workers are feared trapped after the roof of a tunnel in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district collapsed on Saturday. Rescue operations were currently underway, with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directing relevant authorities to reach the spot immediately.
The accident occurred due to the slippage of a concrete segment that was used to seal seepage at the 14-km inlet of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel, which runs from Srisailam towards Devarakonda.
Rescue operations are currently underway, with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directing officials to expedite necessary rescue measures and ensure the safe evacuation of the trapped workers.
In a statement, the Chief Minister's Office said that "some people were injured in the incident", adding that Revanth Reddy had ordered the District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and personnel from the fire department and Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRAA) to take up relief measures immediately".
While there was no official information on how many workers were inside the tunnel at the time of the accident, a police official told news agency PTI that there were at least six to eight people trapped.
"The incident occurred when some workers had gone inside as part of the work when roof collapsed at 12-13 km inside the tunnel," the official was quoted as saying.
The state's Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, Irrigation Advisor Aditya Nath Das, IG Sathyanarayana and DG Fire Services GV Narayan Rao are overseeing relief operations at the spot.
Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed deep concern over the incident, calling it unfortunate. He stated that rescue efforts are in full swing to safely retrieve the eight individuals trapped inside. Rescue teams have already been deployed, and additional support from the Indian Army is expected to reach the accident site by tonight.
Furthermore, the rescue team that participated in a similar incident in Uttarakhand is being brought in to aid the operation. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are also being deployed to assist in the rescue efforts.
Among those trapped inside are the project engineer, site engineer, and six workers, sources told. Officials have been directed to maintain real-time communication with the Chief Minister and update him on the progress of the operations.
Source: India Today