Rescue teams in southern India are racing to save eight workers believed to be trapped after an irrigation tunnel collapsed during construction in Telangana on Saturday.
The accident occurred due to a sudden inflow of water and soil, causing a section of the tunnel to cave in.
Workers near a boring machine managed to escape, but eight engineers and labourers near the entrance are believed to be stuck inside, the ruling Congress party said in a statement on X.
“This is an unfortunate incident, but we are committed to bringing them out safely,” said Telangana’s irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, assuring that a coordinated search and rescue effort is underway.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined the rescue effort on Saturday night, with reports indicating that the tunnel’s ventilation system remains functional, ensuring a supply of oxygen to those trapped.
Officials said that before rescue teams can reach the workers, they need to pump out water and clear debris blocking the passage.
India has seen frequent accidents on large infrastructure sites due to safety lapses and challenging terrain.
In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days inside a collapsed Himalayan road tunnel in Uttarakhand, requiring a marathon engineering effort to free them.
As efforts continue in Telangana, officials remain hopeful that the eight missing workers can be safely brought out in the coming hours.
