Hyderabad, Feb 26 (IANS) The operation to rescue eight persons trapped in the partially-collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district made some progress on the fifth day on Wednesday as the rescue workers managed to reach the end of the 14-km long tunnel. A team of rescue workers from different agencies finally succeeded in crossing the last 40-meter stretch and returned but there was no word about the fate of the eight persons. Officials said the team saw the entire stretch filled with slush and debris. They would now decide how to go about the final phase of the operation.

Earlier, tunnel experts from the Border Security Force (BSF) were roped in as part of the efforts to reach the head portion of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). With slush impeding the further movement of the rescue teams, experts from various agencies have reportedly concluded that removing slush is the only way to complete the mission. At a review meeting with Telangana ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, top officials of the agencies involved in the rescue mission informed that efforts were underway to remove the slush to reach the last 40 metres. With this stretch filled with mud and debris and water seepage continuing, rescue workers had not made any headway for more than 24 hours.

A team of rat miners also went inside the tunnel and assessed the situation. Their representative told the media that the TBM was not seen and feared that it could be buried under the mud. Rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Army, the Navy and other agencies have not been able to advance further due to 7-9 metre high mud while the continuous seepage of water has made the entire operation risky for the rescue workers. On a request from Telangana, the National Disaster Management Authority has requested the National Remote Sensing Centre and Geological Survey of India to conduct surface and sub-surface assessment of the incident site. This assessment is needed for the safety of the teams carrying out rescue operations.

Roping in experts from various agencies across the country and deployment of advanced equipment have not helped in what is believed to be the most difficult tunnel rescue operation in India. Irrigation Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy on Wednesday held a meeting with officials of the various agencies involved in the rescue operation to assess the situation and discuss future course of action. The ministers were informed that unless slush is removed and dewatering is done, rescue teams can’t make headway to reach the exact spot of the accident where the two engineers, two technical staff and four workers are trapped.

The accident occurred 14 km inside the tunnel. While the rescue teams had already reached 13.5 km, they could not advance further for the last two days due to mud, the debris of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and the seepage of water. The divers of the Navy’s special forces unit Marcos were unable to wade through the slush. Rescue workers say more soil is falling from fresh cavities at the exact spot of the tunnel collapse, adding to mud. As the slush is more than 70 per cent, the Navy divers were unable to go through it. With more than 100 hours after the accident, the chances of survival of the trapped men are stated to be remote.

The Border Road Organisation will also be joining the rescue operation on Wednesday. The operation involves the Army, the Navy, the SDRF, the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation, the Singareni Collieries Company Limited, L&T, and HYDRAA. Disaster Management Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar continues to supervise the rescue operation with other top officials. The tail unit of TBM was found 50 metres before the end of the 14 km long tunnel. The head portion of the tunnel has a safe container for workers to take shelter in emergency situations. It was not known if the trapped men could enter the container when the roof collapsed and seepage of water became intensive.

Meanwhile, Jaypee Group founder Jaiprakash Gaur visited the tunnel on Wednesday and said they were making their best efforts to rescue to trapped men. Jaypee is the contracting firm for the SLBC project. Gaur said after completing the rescue operation, the company would resume the work to execute the project. He told media persons that they have encountered such incidents during tunnel works. He said this was the sixth or seventh accident in his life.

/IANS