SLBC Tunnel Collapse: Rescue teams recover one body

Hyderabad: After 16 days of relentless rescue efforts following the tunnel collapse in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC), a body has been recovered in front of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM).

The rescue teams, comprising the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Army, the Navy, and technological experts, are working tirelessly to locate those trapped. The collapse had initially left eight individuals buried under the debris.

The recovered body is reported to be in a highly decomposed state. Authorities identified the body as TBM operator Gurupreet Singh.. A bracelet was found on the body which helped in identification of the body. The body has been shifted to Nagarkurnool Hospital for further procedures.

The final 50 meters of the rescue operation proved to be particularly challenging. The team strategically identified key spots at the tunnel’s endpoint, employing rat-hole miners as well as national and international rescuers. They intensified excavation efforts at locations where Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and cadaver dogs had indicated possible remains. A breakthrough occurred when a hand was discovered on the left side of the TBM, where the body was found to be entangled in concrete. The rescue team successfully extricated the remains after meticulous effort. State Disaster Management Authority Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar, Nagarkurnool District Collector Badhawat Santosh, District SP Vaibhav Gaikwad Raghunath, and SLBC Tunnel Construction Company representative Praveen Singh reviewed the ongoing rescue operations.

Two Belgian Malinois dogs, Maya and Murphy, brought in from Kerala, were deployed to assist in another SLBC-related search.

A total of 157 workers and technical experts participated in the morning rescue efforts, demonstrating coordinated efforts to recover the remaining trapped individuals.