The family owns just an acre of land, which is why Gurpreet had to migrate for work (Express Photo)It is all quiet in the house of Darshan Kaur, a resident of Cheema Kalan village in Punjab’s border district of Tarn Taran. She spends her days in constant prayer for the safety of her son, Gurpreet Singh, who is among the eight workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in Telangana’s Nagar Kurnool district.Gurpreet’s wife, Rajwinder Kaur, is devastated. She told mediapersons that her husband has been working as a machine operator for a construction company in Telangana for nearly 20 years. “He had come home about 20 days ago when my father passed away and left after 5-7 days,” she said.The last time Rajwinder spoke to her husband was on Saturday before he left for work. “I keep staring at my phone, hoping it will ring again and he will be on the other side,” she said, her voice heavy with worry.Also Read | Telangana tunnel collapse: Rescuers stare at crisis as water and mud mix make it harder to push forwardPargat Singh Cheema, Gurpreet’s cousin, recounted how the family learned of the incident. “On Saturday, when we heard the news, Rajwinder called his phone, but a colleague answered. Gurpreet had left his phone outside the tunnel by mistake that day. His colleague broke the news about the tunnel collapse—otherwise, we have received no intimation from the company. It is a sad state of affairs. The whole country is watching this on television, yet even our Punjab government has not taken steps to coordinate with Telangana officials. We are deeply disappointed.”The family owns just an acre of land, which is why Gurpreet had to migrate for work. “Otherwise, he would have stayed with us. He used to visit only for about 30-40 days a year, spending most of his life away from home,” said a family member.Rajwinder recalled how Gurpreet was an integral part of their daily lives. “Every morning, he would wake us up with a video call. My daughters wouldn’t get up until they heard their father’s voice. But since Saturday, there has been no wake-up call.”Also Read | ‘We were told there’s leakage… but that’s happened several times’: Workers recount chaos inside Telangana tunnel, where 8 men are trappedGurpreet’s father, Virsa Singh, passed away a few years ago. His family consists of his wife, their two daughters—Ramandeep Kaur (13) and Sumanpreet Kaur (16), who is currently appearing for her Class 10 CBSE exams—and his elderly mother, Darshan Kaur. He is the sole breadwinner of the household.Story continues below this adThe family has been glued to the television since Saturday. “We hope Waheguru performs a miracle. We hear all the bad news on TV, but our hearts refuse to believe it. We still have hope,” said Rajwinder.Villagers have been visiting the family to offer support during this distressing time. Meanwhile, Tarn Taran deputy commissioner Rahul told The Indian Express, “So far, the family has not approached us, but we are aware of the incident. As of now, we have not received any official intimation from the Telangana government regarding Gurpreet.”© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:telanganatunnel