Nagarkurnool (Telangana), March 9 : Rescue teams working inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) Tunnel in Nagarkurnool, which collapsed on February 22, have recovered one body from the debris, officials confirmed on Sunday. The collapse trapped eight workers, and while rescue operations continue, the recovery process remains challenging.
Assisting in the efforts, the Kerala cadaver dog squad discovered human remains inside the tunnel. According to officials, the body was found stuck in a machine inside the collapsed section, with only the hand visible. “We found one dead body stuck in the machine. The rescue teams are currently cutting the machine to retrieve the stuck body,” a rescue official stated.
On Saturday, Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, Uttam Kumar Reddy, announced that robotic technology had been deployed to speed up the ongoing rescue operations at the SLBC tunnel near Domalapenta, Nagarkurnool district, where eight workers remain trapped. The Minister called the incident a national disaster and assured that the state government is using the best global technology to handle the complex rescue efforts in the final stretch of the 14-kilometre tunnel.
During his visit to the site, Reddy reviewed the situation with officials from various national agencies, including State Disaster Management Secretary Arvind Kumar and Army Commandant Parikshit Mehra. The Minister informed that cadaver dogs from Kerala had detected a strong odour at a specific location, suggesting the presence of three individuals. The government has pledged full support to the families of the missing workers and continues to monitor the situation closely.
Despite continuous efforts from 11 national-level rescue teams over the past two weeks, recovering the trapped workers remains difficult. Experts in tunnel construction and rescue operations are being consulted from across the world to ensure the safest course of action. As of Saturday, 525 personnel were engaged in the operation.
The tragic collapse occurred on February 22, when a three-metre section of the tunnel’s roof gave way at the 14 km mark near Domalapenta. The collapse happened just four days after construction work had resumed following a lengthy hiatus. While several workers managed to escape, eight remained trapped in the rubble.