Telangana CM Revanth Reddy reviews SLBC tunnel accident; rescue operations underway

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 23 (ANI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy held a review meeting, after a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed under the Eegalapenta police station limits in Nagarkurnool district, leaving eight workers trapped inside.
The meeting was attended by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, State Advisor (Irrigation) Adityanath Das and CM Advisor Vem Narender Reddy.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy briefed the Chief Minister on the current situation at the tunnel, providing detailed updates.
The CM urged officials to speed up the rescue efforts to save the eight workers trapped inside the tunnel. He also inquired about the health of the injured workers and instructed that they be provided with the best medical care. Revanth Reddy assured the affected families that the government would offer full support to them.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy informed the CM that the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams would reach the accident site shortly. The Chief Minister also directed all department officials to stay alert during the ongoing rescue operations.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi reacted to the tragic SLBC tunnel accident and posted for the same on his official 'X' handle. Rahul stated that he is deeply stressed after learning about the accident in Telangana and added that the authorities and the state government are doing the rescue work to bring back those who are in danger.
On the other hand, the Indian Army has been mobilised to assist in the ongoing rescue operations following a tunnel collapse near the Srisailam dam. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy and assured full assistance from the Central government in the rescue operations.
Meanwhile, according to police, several workers managed to escape immediately after the collapse. However, eight workers remain unaccounted for.
"Today, during the morning shift, around 50 workers went to work and the tunnel suddenly collapsed. Eight workers are still trapped inside, while the others escape immediately. We suspect that the remaining eight workers are still inside, approximately 13 kilometres down," an official said.
The police further added, "The trapped workers are from various places, including Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and other locations. Special rescue teams from Hyderabad are being deployed to assist in the rescue operation."
"So far, we have not received any complaints from the family members of the trapped workers," the police official added. (ANI)