Telangana SLBC Tunnel Collapse: Rescue teams recover one body; retrieval efforts underway

NAGARURKNOOL(Telangana): Rescue teams working inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) Tunnel in Nagarkunool, which collapsed on February 22, trapping eight workers, have recovered one body from the debris, officials said on Sunday.

The Kerala cadaver dog squad have been roped in to assist in the rescue efforts have found human remains inside the tunnel. According to rescue officials, the deceased was found trapped in a machine inside the collapsed section of the tunnel.

“We found one dead body stuck in the machine, with only the hand visible. The rescue teams are currently cutting the machine to retrieve the stuck body,” said the official.

On Saturday, Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that robotic technology had been deployed to accelerate the ongoing rescue operations at the SLBC tunnel near Domalapenta in the Nagarkurnool district, where eight workers remain trapped.

Calling the incident a national disaster, he emphasised that the State government is utilizing the best global technology to overcome the challenges in the final stretch of the 14-kilometre-long tunnel.

Visiting the site, he reviewed the situation with officials from multiple national agencies, including State Disaster Management Secretary Arvind Kumar and Army Commandant Parikshit Mehra, who are overseeing the rescue efforts.

Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that cadaver dogs from Kerala detected a strong odour at a specific location, indicating the presence of three individuals. He assured that the government would provide full support to the families of the missing workers. The minister also reviewed the ongoing dewatering and desilting efforts, confirming that updates would be provided after a review on March 11.

Despite continuous efforts by 11 national-level rescue teams over the past two weeks, locating and retrieving the trapped workers remains a challenge. The government is consulting tunnel construction and rescue experts from across the globe to determine the safest course of action. On Saturday, 525 personnel were engaged in the rescue efforts.

On February 22, a three-metre section of the roof of an under-construction stretch of the SLBC tunnel collapsed at the 14 km mark near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district in Telangana. The collapse occurred just four days after construction work had resumed following a lengthy hiatus. While some workers managed to escape, the eight remained trapped. (ANI)