SLBC Tunnel Collapse: Another Body Traced

Another body was located inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel on Tuesday (March 25). Officials have yet to identify the body, which was found 50 meters away from the conveyor belt.

Eight workers were trapped inside the tunnel when a part of it caved in on February 22. Search operations to locate the workers have been underway for over a month. So far, officials have managed to trace one body, identified as Gurpreet Singh, on March 9.

Officials remain hopeful of locating the remaining six bodies.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy conducted a review meeting on Monday to assess the progress of the search operations, which had entered their 32nd day. Officials informed him that the operations were facing delays due to poor light and air conditions. Further, Revanth reportedly directed the officials to seek help from the Central government to expedite the search operations.

The officials informed the Chief Minister that 25 agencies, including various wings of the Central and State governments, as well as private organizations, are engaged in the rescue operations. A total of 700 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the army have been deployed to trace the trapped workers. Cadaver dogs from Kerala and a team from Anvi Robotics were also roped in to help trace the workers.