Rescue efforts remain ongoing in Nagarkurnool, Telangana, where seven workers continue to be trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel following a collapse on 22 February.
A coordinated operation, involving 110 rescue personnel and advanced robotic technology, is underway to locate and extricate the workers. On Tuesday, a team of robotic specialists entered the tunnel as part of intensified search efforts.
Authorities confirmed that the body of one worker was retrieved on 10 March.
The deceased has been identified as Gurpreet Singh. An official statement from the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office conveyed condolences from Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy.
In response to the tragedy, the Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹25 lakh to the bereaved family.
Efforts to locate the trapped workers have been bolstered by technological interventions. On 9 March, Telangana’s Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies, Uttam Kumar Reddy, announced the deployment of robotic technology to expedite the rescue mission.
Calling the incident a “national disaster”, he stated that the government is “utilising the best global technology to overcome the challenges in the final stretch of the 14-kilometre-long tunnel”.
Additionally, on 6 March, two cadaver dogs from the Kerala Police, along with their handlers, were brought to assist in locating the trapped workers.
The accident took place on 22 February when a three-metre section of the tunnel’s roof collapsed at the 14-kilometre mark near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district.
The mishap occurred just four days after construction had resumed following a prolonged halt. While several workers managed to escape, eight remained trapped within the structure.
Search teams are continuing their efforts amid challenging conditions, with authorities expressing determination to reach those still unaccounted for.
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