India, Feb. 24 -- 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 pi...