Revanth seeks Centre’s help in SLBC tunnel rescue ops

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has asked the officials to seek the Central Government’s help to expedite rescue operations in the SLBC tunnel. The Chief Minister inquired with the officials about the challenges facing in recovering the bodies of seven trapped workers in the tunnel.

In the high-level meeting conducted by the CM on Monday, the top authorities said that rescue operations were delayed due to poor air and light conditions as the accident occurred 14 kilometres from the inlet in the tunnel. Thirty metres of the accident area has been identified as the most dangerous zone. The officials also clarified that rescue operations will have to be carried out in the tunnel according to the scientific studies of the GSI and NGRI.

State Special Chief Secretary to Disaster Management Arvind Kumar and Colonel Parikshit Mehra briefed the CM about the progress in the ongoing rescue operations at the accident site in the last one month. The officials informed the Chief Minister that 25 agencies, including various wings of the Central and State governments as well as private organisations are engaged in the rescue operations. A total of 700 personnel have been involved in the rescue operations.

After a briefing on the rescue operations by the officials, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to give top priority to finding the whereabouts of the workers who were trapped in the accident and ordered to take all necessary permissions from the Union Government for the emergency works to be carried out in the tunnel.

The SLBC tunnel accident took place on February 22. Eight workers were trapped in the accident. One of the bodies of the trapped workers – Gurpreet Singh was recovered on March 9. Instructing the officials to continue the rescue operations to locate the remaining trapped workers by following all necessary alternatives, CM Revanth Reddy asserted that the rescue operations should continue as per the instructions of the Expert Committee.