Rescue team still unable to establish contact with workers trapped inside SLBC tunnel in Telangana

Rescue Teams Battle Against Time to Save Workers Trapped in Telangana Tunnel Collapse

For four agonizing days, desperate rescue efforts have continued at the Sripada Sagar Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel site, where twelve construction workers remain trapped after a sudden collapse. Despite round-the-clock operations using advanced equipment and expert teams, authorities have been unable to establish any communication with the trapped laborers, leaving families in unbearable suspense as each passing hour diminishes hopes of survival.  

The tragedy unfolded without warning on Monday morning when a 200-meter section of the under-construction tunnel gave way, sealing the workers inside what has become an underground prison. Preliminary reports indicate that water seepage from the nearby Godavari River may have weakened the tunnel's structure, though officials stress that a full investigation will follow once the emergency operation concludes.  

At the site, the scene is one of controlled chaos as National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams coordinate a complex, multi-pronged rescue. Heavy machinery works carefully to remove debris while avoiding further collapses, and specialized drilling equipment attempts to create access points. Oxygen pipes have been inserted through narrow openings in the rubble, but with no confirmation that the workers have access to these lifelines, anxiety grows among both rescuers and waiting families.  

Outside the cordoned-off disaster zone, emotional family members maintain a grim vigil. Many have not left the site since the collapse, sleeping in makeshift tents provided by authorities. "My son is only 22 years old," said a distraught mother who identified herself as Lakshmi. "He took this job to pay for his sister's education. How can I go home without knowing if he's alive?"  

The rescue operation faces multiple challenges that test even the most experienced disaster response teams. The unstable geology of the area threatens further collapses, forcing workers to proceed with extreme caution. Water continues to seep into the tunnel despite round-the-clock pumping efforts. Perhaps most frustrating for rescuers is their inability to confirm whether the workers have found an air pocket or any space to survive these four long days.  

As the operation enters its critical phase, additional resources are being mobilized. A specialized robotic team from Hyderabad is en route to navigate through debris too dangerous for human rescuers, while the Indian Army has been put on standby for possible reinforcement. State officials have announced compensation for affected families, but such promises provide little comfort to those clinging to fading hope.  

With each passing hour, the heartbreaking reality becomes harder to ignore - this may become a recovery operation rather than a rescue. Yet as long as any possibility remains, the teams continue their painstaking work, driven by the unspoken understanding that somewhere beneath tons of earth and concrete, twelve lives hang in the balance.