Telangana, 22 February 2025 — At least six workers are feared trapped after a section of the roof collapsed in an under-construction stretch of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Saturday, police said.
A senior police official, citing information from the construction company, mentioned that six to eight workers were inside the tunnel when the collapse occurred around 12-13 kilometers in. “Some workers had gone inside as part of the work when the roof gave way,” the official said.
The construction company’s team has entered the tunnel to assess the situation, police added.
A press release from the Chief Minister’s Office noted that some workers sustained injuries but did not specify a number. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy instructed the district collector, superintendent of police, and other officials to oversee relief operations.
Following the chief minister’s directives, state Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, government adviser on irrigation Adityanath Das, and other officials flew to the site in a special helicopter.
Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, expressing concern, enquired about the cause of the collapse and urged officials to rescue those feared trapped.
“Bringing them to safety is the priority,” a release from his office stated, adding that medical treatment should be provided to any injured workers.
