Mon Feb 24 08:51:30 UTC 2025: ## Eight Trapped in Collapsed Telangana Tunnel; Nationwide Rescue Underway
**Hyderabad, February 24, 2025** – A major rescue operation is underway in Telangana after a portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed on Saturday, trapping eight workers. Nine top national agencies, including the Indian Army, Navy, and NDRF, are working around the clock to save the trapped individuals.
The incident occurred during construction of the 44-km long tunnel, described as the world’s longest irrigation tunnel, a project which resumed after a five-year halt. According to Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, a sudden rush of water and mud pushed back the tunnel boring machine, leaving eight workers trapped approximately 400 meters below the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. The project manager from the Robbins Company, Glen, reported that a small leak, initially deemed insignificant, preceded the collapse. The cause is suspected to be a geological fault line.
Minister Reddy stated that experienced personnel from various agencies are working under a unified command, reviewing the situation and adapting rescue plans hourly. Special Chief Secretary (Revenue – Disaster Management) Arvind Kumar is overseeing the operation. While the project, originally agreed upon in 2005 at a cost of ₹4,600 crore, is nearing completion with 35 km already finished, the minister called the incident a “freak accident” and expressed uncertainty about the rescue timeline. Upon completion, the tunnel will irrigate 400,000 acres in Nalgonda and Khammam districts.
First Piper 