Over the years, India and other countries have witnessed several major tunnel collapses, raising concerns about rescue operations and the need for stringent safety protocols
Hyderabad: The roof of an under-construction stretch of the tunnel in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project collapsed, trapping eight persons on Saturday in Telangana. According to reports, the trapped individuals include two engineers, two machine operators, and four workers—all employed by Robbins Tunnel Boring Machines Manufacturing Company and Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. They are stranded approximately 14 km inside the tunnel.
Reportedly, around 50 workers had entered the worksite at approximately 8:00 a.m., but most rushed out after a machine operator raised an alarm about water seepage and soil movement. While 42 workers managed to escape, eight workers who were ahead of the boring machine inside the tunnel were unable to get out in time.
Rescue operations to extricate the trapped workers are underway, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) working on strategies to reach the affected section of the tunnel.
Over the years, India and other countries have witnessed several major tunnel collapses, raising concerns about rescue operations and the need for stringent safety protocols.
Here are some significant tunnel collapses from past years:
Mandi Tunnel Collapse – Himachal Pradesh (2022)
An under-construction 1,245-meter-long tunnel, intended to bypass Mandi’s national highway, collapsed in November 2022 while approximately 50 workers were inside.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and all workers escaped unharmed. However, the incident raised serious concerns regarding worker safety and structural stability in tunnel construction.
Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel Collapse – Uttarakhand (2023)
An under-construction tunnel, part of National Highway 134 in Uttarkashi district, collapsed around 5:30 a.m. in November 2023, trapping 41 workers inside.
Rescue operations were launched immediately to extricate the workers, who were trapped 260 meters inside the tunnel from the Silkyara portal. After nearly 16 days, all 41 workers were successfully rescued.
The rescue team also sought assistance from experts involved in the 2018 Tham Luang Cave rescue in Thailand.
Assam Coal Mine Accident (2025)
In January 2025, a coal mine in the Umrangso area of Dima Hasao district was flooded, trapping nine workers inside. After two days of rescue operations, only four bodies were recovered, highlighting the dangers associated with unregulated mining activities.
Tham Luang Cave Collapse – Thailand (2018)
In 2018, twelve members of a junior association football team, along with their assistant coach, were trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Thailand due to heavy rainfall and flooding.
The team remained stuck for nearly 18 days as rescue teams worked tirelessly to pump water out of the cave system. Eventually, all 12 footballers and their coach were successfully rescued, marking one of the most complex and globally recognized cave rescues in history.
