Hope lingers on: Govt says rescue ops to conclude in 2 days

After being trapped for over four days following partial collapse of SLBC tunnel, the fate of the eight individuals remains unknown, even as Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday expressed hope that the rescue operation will be completed in two days with increased pace of action.

- 

Irrigation Minister Reddy in a press conference said it has been decided that the rescuers will go into the silt in the tunnel in search of the trapped men while acknowledging that the rescue operation was slowed down on Tuesday keeping in view the safety of the lives of the rescuers.

"The whole operation has been reviewed with all the officials, including from NDRF, Army, SDRF, District Collector, and superintendent of police...we have made a concrete plan of action today that we will go ahead into the silt (in the tunnel). Now we are hoping that we can complete the whole operation in two days. We have decided a plan of action and decided a timeframe, and now we will go forward," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that alternate access routes to reach the Tunnel Boring Machine which was stuck in the muck are also being explored to mitigate risk and improve the speed of the rescue mission.

"One of the biggest challenges in the rescue effort has been the massive accumulation of muddy water obstructing access to the TBM. To tackle this, the state government has intensified dewatering operations using advanced machinery, ensuring water removal progresses rapidly," he said.