Endoscopic and robotic cameras have been brought. NDRF Dog squad have also been deployed to assist in the operation.
L&T’s endoscopic operator Dowdeep told ANI, “Through the endoscopic camera, we can track what is happening inside the tunnel. We have done this during the rescue operation in Uttarakhand as well. Two teams have come. Endoscopic and robotic cameras have been brought.”
Despite relentless efforts by the Indian Army, NDRF, and other agencies, no breakthrough was achieved in the rescue operations. Telangana Minister J Krishna Rao said the chances of survival under the circumstances are “not that good”. “Muck has piled up too high inside the tunnel, making it impossible to walk through. They (rescuers) are using rubber tubes and wooden planks to navigate through it,” Krishna Rao, who went inside the tunnel, told reporters.
State Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said about 70 people were working in the tunnel on Saturday (February 22) morning when a part of it collapsed. Most of them could escape and return using their internal train or locomotive there after the incident.
“But eight people have been missing since yesterday. We are hoping and praying that they are safe…” Reddy told PTI.
The final 200 metres stretch of the collapsed section of the tunnel has been filled with water and silt making it difficult for the rescue team to reach the spot.
Reddy said the Irrigation Department, Disaster Response Teams, and Defense personnel are coordinating efforts, with oxygen being continuously pumped inside and motors deployed for dewatering.
The trapped persons have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.
Of the eight, two are engineers, two operators and four labourers.
With inputs from PTI
