8 trapped in a tunnel: Prospects of survival slim?

To preserve the lives of workers and engineers trapped under the collapsed part of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal Tunnel project, rescue teams have increased their efforts. Rescue troops report finding the workers trapped in a pocket only 100 meters away. However, the situation remained difficult as the final stretch proved to be unreachable.

Minister Jupally Krishna Rao has cautioned that their prospects of life are “very, very remote” due to muck and water accumulation impeding the rescue attempt.

Governor monitors the issue

Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma has been closely watching the progress of the rescue procedures, while Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao, who are in charge of the rescue operations, went into the tunnel as part of an evaluation exercise.

The tunnel, which was supposed to be 44 kilometers long and located behind the Srisailam dam in Nagarkurnool, collapsed Saturday morning as workers were repairing a leak. The tunnel is commonly referred to as the Srisailam Left Bank Canal Tunnel (SLBC).