Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Rising Slush Hampers Rescue Ops; Trapped Workers' Survival Chances 'Very Remote'

The race to rescue eight workers trapped inside a tunnel in Telangana has taken a turn for the worse, despite less than 50 metres remaining between them and freedom.

The situation has become even more precarious after the wall of slush inside the tunnel rose by a metre, increasing the risk of entrapment, reported NDTV on Monday evening-48 hours after the collapse.

Photo Credit: PTI

Rescue operations may have to be slowed down, as experts have raised concerns about the stability of the collapsed section.

It is feared that any further excavation could not only put the trapped workers in greater danger but also endanger the lives of those carrying out the rescue efforts.

So far, five teams have entered the tunnel; the most recent team, which included geologists and drone experts, left at 3:30 pm and is expected to return later in the evening.

However, the greatest concern arose following feedback from the fourth team, which went in at 1 am and reported that the previously 7-metre-high slush wall had risen by at least another metre. This change occurred between the exit of the second team and the arrival of the fourth.

An official from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) informed NDTV that the increase in slush may be due to another leakage.

Rescue officials estimate that an enormous 3,200 litres of water is entering the tunnel every minute, mixing with vast quantities of sand, rock, and debris to form more mud and slush.

The NHIDCL official noted that the increase in slush could also be the result of a gradual build-up. As per NDTV, the situation has become extremely dangerous, and it may now be safer for all involved to avoid "intensive" rescue operations at this time.

Australian tunnel expert Chris Cooper echoed this concern, stating that "the entire area appears unsettled" and that it may be too hazardous to continue heavy-duty digging.

Experts have also highlighted the danger posed by shifting boulders, as suggested by noises reported by the four rescue teams, indicating that the roof of the collapsed section remains unstable.

The NHIDCL led the third and fourth rescue teams, while the first two were led by the NDRF and the Indian Army, respectively.

Meanwhile, the state government has provided the latitude and longitude of the collapsed tunnel to the National Remote Sensing Agency and the Geological Survey of India to examine existing fault lines.

This assessment aims to determine the risk of a second collapse, which could also endanger the rescue teams.

Telangana minister Jupally Krishna Rao has admitted there is only a "remote" chance of finding the workers alive.

"Muck has piled up... rescuers are using rubber tubes and wooden planks to navigate. Chances of survival are very, very remote... but we are hopeful..." he told NDTV.

Specialist teams, including commandos and the 'rat miners'-who played a crucial role in saving 41 workers trapped in an Uttarakhand tunnel in November 2023-have been placed on standby.

The tunnel, which was intended to be 44 km long, collapsed on Saturday while a team of workers was inside carrying out repairs on a water leak. All but eight workers managed to escape.

There has been no contact with those trapped since the collapse.

On Sunday, rescuers released footage from inside the tunnel in which they could be heard calling out the names of the trapped workers. In the video, one of the rescue workers was heard saying, "Some voices are coming..."

The trapped workers are from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir.