Rescue operations for the victims of the SLBC tunnel accident in Telangana, which have been ongoing for 63 days, have been temporarily suspended. While rescuers successfully recovered the bodies of two individuals, efforts to locate the remaining six missing persons are still in progress. Excavators, which had been tirelessly working within the tunnel, ceased operations on Thursday as debris removal nears completion. However, authorities have indicated that sections of the area remain hazardous.

Following a meeting of a technical committee led by Arvind Kumar, Special Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department (Disasters), it was determined that it is unsafe to continue operations beyond 13.6 km from the tunnel’s inlet. The meeting included key personnel such as Fire Services DG Nagi Reddy, Special Secretary of the Irrigation Department Prashant Jeevan Patil, the NDRF 10th Battalion Commandant, and experts from various geological and engineering organisations.

The tragic accident, which occurred on 22nd February during the ambitious SLBC tunnel project undertaken by the Telangana government, has prompted this significant decision to halt further rescue efforts for a period of three months, as advised by the technical committee.