Telangana minister's grim remark on trapped tunnel workers: 'We shouted their names, but...'

Telangana tunnel collapse: In a grim comment on the possibility of survivors in the SLBC project tunnel collapse, Telangana minister J Krishna Rao said on Monday that rescue workers shouted the names of eight trapped workers but didn't get a response. The minister further said chances of their survival are "very, very, very, very remote". The minister said mud had piled up in the collapsed portion of the under-construction tunnel.

"To be honest, the chances of their survival are very, very, very, very remote. Because, I went up to the end, almost just 50 meters short (of the mishap site). When we took photographs, the end (of the tunnel) was visible. And out of the 9-meter diameter (of the tunnel), almost 30 feet, out of that 30 feet, mud has piled up to 25 feet".

"When we shouted their names also, there was no response...so, there is no chance at all," he added.