All nine persons trapped after a huge fire at an underground hydroelectric power station in Telangana were killed, officials said on Friday.

All the efforts by rescue workers to save the trapped employees at Telangana State Generation Corporation (TS Genco) plant at Srisailam canal's left bank in Nagarkurnool district were futile.

The rescue workers recovered the bodies of five victims. They were identified as Assistant Engineers Mohan Kumar, Uzma Fatima, and Sunder, Divisional Engineer Srinivas Goud and Mahesh, an employee of a battery company.

Efforts were on to trace the bodies of the remaining persons. The rescue personnel including those from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were battling thick smoke to retrieve the bodies.

Some rescue workers have also reportedly become ill during the rescue operation.

Earlier, personnel from the NDRF and experts from the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) joined the rescue operations.

The fire, which broke late on Thursday, was brought under control by the firefighters.

A short-circuit is believed to have caused the fire at unit one of the underground powerhouse. Of the 30 persons reported to be present at the spot, 15 escaped to safety through a tunnel while six were rescued by rescue personnel.
(IANS)