On the 16th day of the intense search operation, rescue teams recovered a body from the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district. The body, found near the broken tunnel boring machine (TBM), remains unidentified due to its condition. Authorities are examining personal belongings to determine the identity of the deceased.
The tunnel collapse, which occurred on February 22, left eight workers trapped inside. Two were operating the TBM while six others assisted them when the tunnel roof suddenly caved in, burying them under tons of debris. The missing individuals are Sunny Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Manoj Kumar, Srinivas, Sandeep Sahu, Santosh Sahu, Anuj Sahu, and Jagath Khes.
Challenges in rescue operations
Since the collapse, 11 teams, comprising over 300 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Indian Army, have been tirelessly working to locate the trapped workers. However, the rescue mission has been significantly hampered by accumulating sludge, debris, and continuous water seepage into the tunnel, making progress slow and challenging.