Boring machines, high-grade shutters, and debris removal machinery were brought to the site to assist rescuers.
Rescue operations have entered their seventh day as efforts continue to save several workers trapped in a partially collapsed tunnel in southern India.
To expedite the search, additional heavy equipment has been deployed. India’s South Central Railway announced on Friday that its rescue team has joined the mission to locate the trapped workers in Nagarkurnool town, located in Telangana state.
A. Sridhar, a spokesman for the railway, stated that their experts are skilled in cutting heavy metals using tools such as plasma cutters and Brocho cutting machines. Boring machines, high-grade shutters, and debris removal machinery have also been transported to the site to aid the rescuers, he added.
India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had already joined the rescue efforts on the night of the incident, which occurred on February 22.
The accident was triggered by a sudden influx of water and soil, causing a section of the tunnel to collapse.
Earlier this week, Telangana’s Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao informed reporters that 42 workers had managed to swim to safety shortly after the collapse. He added that rescuers had attempted to communicate with the trapped workers through the debris but had received no response.
Reports indicate that the tunnel’s ventilation system remains operational, ensuring a continuous supply of oxygen to the trapped individuals.
On Thursday, Telangana’s Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy assured the public that the rescue operation would be completed within the next two to three days. He also stated that tunnel work is expected to resume in two to three months.
“This is an unfortunate incident, but we are committed to bringing them out safely,” Reddy told reporters, emphasizing that a coordinated search and rescue effort is underway.
Accidents at large infrastructure construction sites are unfortunately common in India.
In 2023, 41 Indian workers were rescued after a grueling 17-day operation successfully extracted them from a partially collapsed Himalayan road tunnel in the northern state of Uttarakhand.
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