The teams engaged in rescuing eight persons who remain trapped in a partially collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel have begun cutting the part of Tunnel Boring Machine and other obstacles that are preventing them from going to the spot where they can search for the individuals.

agarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad said the damaged part of the conveyor belt in the tunnel is expected to be repaired during the day to facilitate the transportation of debris.

“Yes, gas cutting machines went inside, even during nights they did some cutting. Yes, it has already started last night,” the official told news agency. 

Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said the TBM that is struck inside will be cut into pieces by using gas cutters and removed. After this, the Army, Navy, Rat Miners and NDRF teams will make another serious effort to rescue the eight persons who are missing, without compromising their own safety.

A senior government official said there are 800 people working on the SLBC project out of which 300 are locals while the rest are from states like Jharkhand, Odisha and UP.

Eight personnel working on the SLBC tunnel project were trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on February 22.

Jaiprakash Gaur, Founder Chairman of Jaypee Group, the contracting firm of SLBC project on Wednesday reacted to the incident saying accidents may happen during difficult works. Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, was awarded the tunnel boring of SLBC. Gaur further said the teams are doing their best to see that those trapped individuals come out.