Tunnel Rescue: Army Deploys Engineers, Med Teams With Gear

Hyderabad: Engineer Task Force (ETF) of the Bison Division of the Indian Army has been deployed to assist in rescue operations to save eight people trapped in a tunnel following the collapse of a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal project in Nagarkurnool district, while the Telangana and Andhra Sub Area are coordinating the ongoing efforts.

A defence release here said Army medical teams and engineers equipped with high-capacity pumping sets, armored hoses, excavators, and bulldozers, are working tirelessly to clear debris and facilitate safe evacuation from the collapsed tunnel.

“The Indian Army is working closely with all stakeholders for expediting the rescue efforts. Indian Army's priority remains the swift and safe extraction of those trapped inside,” the release said.

However, silt poses a challenge to move further to reach the spot where the people are believed to have been trapped, he added. The collector, who is supervising the rescue operation, said four NDRF teams--one from Hyderabad and three from Vijayawada, comprising 138 members, 24 personnel of the army, personnel of SDRF, 23 members from SCCL with equipment besides members of the infra firm are engaged in the rescue operations.

The release further said a Joint meeting with the Civil administration, NDRF, SDRF, Army, and Tunnel construction contractors was under progress.

A section of the roof, approximately three meters in length, of the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on February 22 near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool District, Telangana. The incident has left eight workers feared trapped inside.

Governor Jishnu Dev Varma spoke over the telephone with the District Collector of Nagarkurnool and enquired about the ongoing rescue operations.

The Governor has been briefed on the efforts to ensure the safe return of individuals trapped in the tunnel collapse in Nagarkurnool District.

The District Collector provided updates on the rescue operations, informing that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Army, along with experts, are actively engaged at the site.

Jishnu Dev Varma has directed the authorities to make all-out efforts to ensure the safe return of those trapped inside the tunnel. He has also emphasised the need to expedite the rescue operations and instructed officials to keep him regularly informed of the developments.

Meanhwhile, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Sunday reached out to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy regarding the ongoing rescue efforts at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel.

During a phone conversation that lasted nearly 20 minutes, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy detailed the government's quick response to the situation, which included sending Minister Uttam Reddy to the site and deploying the NRDF and SRDF rescue teams.

He also explained the measures taken to provide medical assistance to the injured and the outreach efforts to connect with the families of those trapped inside.