While rescuers have managed to cover a large part of the tunnel Tuesday — 13.79 km of the 13.85 km — the last part has been challenging because of a mix of water and slush at the collapse site.

Telangana tunnel collapse has sparked a political row in the state with the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) holding the Congress-led state government accountable for alleged negligence.

Rescue operations are underway to save workers who are trapped inside the tunnel for over 72 hours. The trapped workers include two engineers, two technical staff, and four labourers. Around 13 workers sustained injuries due to the collapse but were able to come out of the tunnel with the help of 29 other workers who managed to escape unhurt.