Synopsis
On March 9, 2023, rescue workers recovered the body of Gurupreet Singh from a collapsed tunnel in Nagarkurnool, Telangana, on day 16 of the operation. The search for seven other missing workers continues amidst challenging conditions.Key Takeaways
- Rescue operation ongoing for 16 days.
- Body of Gurupreet Singh recovered from tunnel.
- Cadaver dogs from Kerala played a crucial role.
- Seven workers still missing after tunnel collapse.
- Robotic technology deployed to aid rescue efforts.
Hyderabad, March 9 (NationPress) On the 16th day of the rescue operation, workers successfully retrieved the body of one of the eight individuals who went missing in the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel located in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district. This discovery was made possible after cadaver dogs from Kerala pinpointed the area where human remains were detected beneath the debris.
The trained canine units located the remains at D-2 point, approximately 100 metres from the site of the accident, during the concluding segment of the 14-km-long tunnel.
Rescue teams proceeded to excavate the silt at the identified area and managed to recover a body on Sunday evening.
The decomposed body has been identified as that of Gurupreet Singh, who was operating the Tunnel Boring Machine (BTM) and originally from Punjab. The body has been transported to the government hospital in Nagarkurnool for preservation.
Search operations continue for the remaining seven individuals trapped within the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project tunnel.
The missing individuals include four labourers, two engineers, and two machine operators from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, who were caught in the tunnel on February 22 when a section of the tunnel roof collapsed during excavation.
The others still unaccounted for are Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas (both from UP), Sunny Singh (from J&K), along with Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu (all hailing from Jharkhand).
Various agencies from both state and central governments have been tirelessly working for the last 15 days to locate the missing workers.
On Saturday night, rescue teams reported discovering human parts buried six feet beneath the debris, leading them to intensify their digging efforts in that area.
Two specialized cadaver dogs, trained to locate missing persons and human remains, were airlifted from Kerala a few days ago.
Officials indicated that these Belgian Malinois dogs possess the capability to detect scents from depths of up to 15 feet.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the Army, Navy, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other agencies, are actively working to find the missing workers.
Authorities deployed robotic technology on Saturday to enhance the rescue efforts in the tunnel, following a suggestion made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during his visit on March 2.
Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy confirmed the use of robots to expedite rescue operations.
These robots, equipped with cameras, infrared sensors, and robotic arms, are being utilized to assess conditions and assist in the extraction process.
The minister, after reviewing the situation with senior officials from the rescue agencies involved, stated that teams have made progress up to 13.95 km into the tunnel, though the final 50 metres are highly unstable due to oxygen depletion, water seepage, and metal debris from the collapsed TBM.
Dewatering and desilting operations are ongoing within the tunnel. The government has consulted with global tunnel experts and deployed a total of 525 personnel, ensuring there are no financial constraints, with Rs 4 crore allocated for the robotic systems, as stated by the minister.
