Daijiworld Media Release - Nagarkurnool

Nagarkurnool, Mar 1: In a significant development in the ongoing rescue operation in Telangana, authorities have located the whereabouts of four of the eight individuals trapped in a collapsed tunnel, according to State Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, who provided an update on Saturday.

Krishna Rao, who attended a review meeting with officials, including Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, stated that significant progress had been made in the past few days.

“Radar technology has helped us locate the positions of four individuals,” the minister confirmed to reporters at the site. “We are hopeful that we will be able to extricate them by Sunday evening.”

The other four trapped individuals are believed to be stuck beneath the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), he added.

Regarding the condition of the four individuals whose locations have been identified, the minister emphasized that, from the outset, he had expressed concerns about the slim chances of survival. Efforts to remove the 450-foot-tall TBM are currently underway, he mentioned.

A total of 11 different agencies are actively involved in the complex operation. Addressing criticisms from opposition parties about delays, Krishna Rao defended the work being done, stating that while the rescue team comprises experts, the operation is challenging due to difficult conditions inside the tunnel, including the presence of slush.

The eight victims—engineers and laborers—have been trapped under the collapsed roof of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel since February 22, with rescue operations intensifying to ensure their safe retrieval.