An official in India's southern Telangana state says the chances of 8 workers being rescued days after a tunnel collapse are "very, very remote."

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Mallu Vikramarka promised that the state government would not give up until the eight men trapped inside are found.

Rescue teams in Telangana deployed a sniffer dog to locate eight trapped workers inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel. As sludge solidified, officials intensified efforts with thermal imaging and excavation plans.