Rescue efforts on day seven for workers trapped in southern India tunnel, utilizing advanced machinery and support from railway experts
Rescue operations for workers trapped in a partially collapsed tunnel in Nagarkurnool, Telangana state, enter their seventh day. The South Central Railway has announced its rescue team’s involvement, bringing specialized skills and equipment to the site.
Spokesperson A Sridhar highlighted the railway team’s expertise in metal cutting, utilizing equipment such as plasma cutters and Brocho cutting machines. The rescue site has also seen the deployment of boring machines, high-grade shutters, and machinery for debris removal to aid in the search.
Despite the national disaster response force joining the efforts on the night of the February 22 incident, the exact cause remains unspecified, though a sudden influx of water and soil is suspected to have triggered the tunnel collapse.
Initial reports indicated that 42 workers managed to escape shortly after the collapse. However, further communications or responses from those trapped have been absent.
Reports also mention that the tunnel’s ventilation system has continued to function, ensuring an ongoing supply of oxygen for trapped workers.
On Thursday, Telangana’s Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed hope that the rescue operation would conclude within two or three days and that tunnel construction could resume within two to three months.
Reddy underscored the commitment to the workers’ safety, stating that a coordinated effort is ongoing. Infrastructure construction in India is notorious for frequent accidents, with 41 workers being famously rescued in 2023 after a 17-day operation at a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand.
Spokesperson A Sridhar highlighted the railway team’s expertise in metal cutting, utilizing equipment such as plasma cutters and Brocho cutting machines. The rescue site has also seen the deployment of boring machines, high-grade shutters, and machinery for debris removal to aid in the search.
Despite the national disaster response force joining the efforts on the night of the February 22 incident, the exact cause remains unspecified, though a sudden influx of water and soil is suspected to have triggered the tunnel collapse.
Initial reports indicated that 42 workers managed to escape shortly after the collapse. However, further communications or responses from those trapped have been absent.
Reports also mention that the tunnel’s ventilation system has continued to function, ensuring an ongoing supply of oxygen for trapped workers.
On Thursday, Telangana’s Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed hope that the rescue operation would conclude within two or three days and that tunnel construction could resume within two to three months.
Reddy underscored the commitment to the workers’ safety, stating that a coordinated effort is ongoing. Infrastructure construction in India is notorious for frequent accidents, with 41 workers being famously rescued in 2023 after a 17-day operation at a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand.
