SLBC tunnel collapse: Cadaver dogs from Kerala Police deployed to trace humans

Efforts to locate the eight workers trapped under the debris of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, Telangana, continued for the 13th day on Thursday (March 6).

According to a statement from the Kerala government, two cadaver dogs from the Kerala Police, along with their handlers, were dispatched to the tunnel site early on Thursday. These dogs are trained to locate missing persons and human bodies.

Officials of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had sought their counterparts in Kerala for assistance from the cadaver dogs.

With assistance from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, the process of clearing the slush from the left side of the tunnel boring machine has been expedited using water jets. Engineers have also managed to repair the conveyor belt, which was damaged in the collapse, further aiding the debris clearance efforts.

Additionally, representatives from the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) in Delhi are conducting seismic studies, while a team from a robotics company based in Hyderabad is exploring whether robots can be used in the operation.

A total of eight workers, including engineers, were stranded when a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel caved in at Nagarkurnool on February 22.

Despite over 580 personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, and SDRF joining the operation to locate the stranded workers, challenges in clearing the slush have caused delays.

Although fate of the trapped workers remains uncertain, officials believe they could be safe if they managed to reach the tunnel boring machine's (TBM) designated safe chamber.

A high-level review meeting, chaired by Special Chief Secretary for Disaster Management Arvind Kumar and Nagarkurnool District Collector Badavath Santhosh, was held on Wednesday (March 5) to assess the progress of the operation.