First deadbody recovered from Telangana tunnel, search on for 7 more

Rescue teams working inside the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district have recovered the first body, 17 days after the accident. Officials confirmed on Sunday that the body was found trapped in a machine, with only the hand visible. Rescue personnel are currently cutting through the machine to retrieve it. The tunnel collapse on February 22 had trapped eight workers, while others managed to escape.

The Kerala cadaver dog squad, deployed to assist in locating the trapped workers, detected a strong odor at a specific location inside the tunnel, indicating the presence of three individuals. "We found one dead body stuck in the machine, with only the hand visible. The rescue teams are currently cutting the machine to retrieve the stuck body," an official said. Rescue efforts, involving 11 national-level teams and 525 personnel, have been ongoing since the collapse, with robotic technology now being used to aid the search.

On Saturday, Telangana Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies Uttam Kumar Reddy visited the site and termed the incident a "national disaster." He emphasized that the state government is using advanced global technology to overcome challenges in the final stretch of the 14-kilometer tunnel. Reviewing the ongoing dewatering and debris clearance operations, he assured that the government would provide full support to the families of the missing workers. Officials confirmed that further updates would be given after a review on March 11.

The SLBC tunnel collapsed at the 14-km mark near Domalapenta, just four days after construction had resumed following a long halt. A 2020 survey by a private firm had flagged weak rock formations and landslide risks in the tunnel’s 13.88 km to 13.91 km section, warning of potential hazards. However, it remains unclear whether these warnings were acknowledged by relevant authorities. Officials stated that the affected section is the same area identified as vulnerable in the survey.

Meanwhile, concerns over worker safety have escalated, with some laborers reportedly leaving the project site. According to officials, around 800 workers were engaged in the SLBC project, with a mix of local laborers and those from Jharkhand, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. While some workers have expressed fear, authorities have assured that residential camps have been set up for those continuing operations. Rescue teams remain focused on retrieving the remaining trapped workers as efforts continue.