Telangana Tunnel Collapse: Eight workers were trapped after a tragic incident unfolded at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district on Saturday, February 22, 2025. These workers, who were doing the construction work inside the tunnel got trapped there when a section of the roof collapsed about 13.5 km inside it. As hours and days pass, the families of these eight workers, who were the sole breadwinners, are struggling to cope with the emotional toll.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the family of these workers is holding onto hope for a miracle that could bring them back. The family of one of the trapped workers, Gurpreet Singh, from Punjab's Tarn Taran district, has been devastated by the tragedy. Rajwinder Kaur, his wife, said that her husband has been working in Telangana as a machine operator for the past 20 years. "He returned home 20 days ago when my father passed away. He left for Telangana after 5 to 7 days," she said.
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Kaur further stated that she talked to him for the last time on Saturday before he went to work. "Indian Express quoted her as saying, "I keep staring at my phone, hoping it will ring again and he will be on the other side." Sharing her heartfelt story, she noted there has been no call to wake up our daughters since Saturday. Narrating about how the family learned about the tragic event, one of Gurpreet's cousins, Pargat Singh Cheema said when they called him, it was answered by a co-worker.
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"We are deeply disappointed as everyone is watching the rescue operations on Television, yet Punjab Govt has not initiated the necessary measures to coordinate with the officials in Telangana," he said. Rajinder's agony is shared by Gurpreet's mother Darshan Kaur and his two daughters, who are praying incessantly for his safe return. "We hope Waheguru does some miracle. We listen to all the bad news on Television, however, our hearts refuse to believe it. We are still hopeful," Rajwinder said.
Another worker, Sandeep Sahu's family in Gumla district in Jharkhand is also waiting for a miracle to happen. The sole breadwinner of his family, Sahu is the eldest among his siblings. One of his brothers, Arjun Sahu said, “Our whole family is dependent on Sandeep. He was paying for my and my younger brother's studies. He has been working at construction sites to support the family. This is the reason why he did not marry yet.” Sandeep left home in August last year and went to SLBC the following month. He was supposed to come home for Holi in March, Arjun said.