All-out efforts on to rescue trapped workers: Uttam

Reddy, who has coordinated rescue operations and is overseeing the requirements from the tunnel inlet site in Domalapenta village, said that every possible resource has been deployed, including those from the government, state and national disaster response forces, Army and Navy, along with other agencies.

“We are working together to ensure a swift and safe rescue. Dewatering operations have begun, and oxygen is being continuously pumped into the tunnel to sustain the trapped workers,” he said.

"We reviewed the relief operations with representatives from the Army, Navy, and NDRF. The government is putting in all possible efforts to save the eight lives. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is closely monitoring the situation, and the entire administration is on alert," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy, who was joined at the site by tourism minister Jupally Krishna Rao, condemned the BRS leadership for attempting to politicise the SLBC tunnel incident instead of supporting the rescue efforts. He held the previous BRS government responsible for neglecting the SLBC project for over a decade, which, he said, may have contributed to the accident.

He said that the situation at the accident site “is critical, and water inflow is hampering the speed of rescue operations. Measures are being taken to prevent waterlogging, and alternative solutions are being explored to clear the mud and debris inside the tunnel.”

He said that the rock formations in the tunnel had become loose, causing sudden water and mud inflow, filling about 12-13 feet of the tunnel.

“This is a highly challenging situation. Technical experts are working round-the-clock to resolve the crisis at the earliest," he said.