Nagarkurnool, Telangana – South Central Railway (SCR) has stepped in to aid the ongoing rescue efforts for eight workers trapped in the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel for nearly a week. Equipped with advanced metal-cutting tools such as plasma cutters and Brocho cutting machines, SCR’s intervention aims to expedite debris clearance, a senior official confirmed on Friday.

Responding to a request from the Nagarkurnool District Collector, SCR deployed two teams of specialists to assist in removing iron and steel obstructions hindering the rescue. The first team, led by Divisional Mechanical Engineer S Murali, includes a senior section engineer, 13 welders, and two technicians from Secunderabad. A second batch arrived last night to support the ongoing operation.

Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad reported that debris removal and dewatering efforts are continuing uninterrupted. A rescue team entered the tunnel at 7 AM today to advance the clearing process.

State irrigation minister Uttam Kumar Reddy assured that rescue operations are progressing at full speed and are expected to conclude within two days. He previously stated that the trapped tunnel boring machine (TBM) would be dismantled using gas cutters before further rescue attempts by teams from the Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and expert miners.

The collapse, which occurred on February 22, trapped eight workers engaged in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project. The missing personnel include engineers, operators, and laborers from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, and Jharkhand. They were employed by Jaiprakash Associates, the project’s contracting firm.