Hyderabad: Efforts to locate the seven missing persons continue as multi-agency teams intensify their operations. The National Centre of Seismology has conducted surveys at 15 surface points to evaluate tunnel conditions. Their preliminary findings, critical for accessing the last 50 meters — a designated danger zone — will be submitted next week.
After Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRDD) failed to find evidence in previously identified locations, the dogs were taken inside the tunnel again on Saturday for further investigation.
Officials have divided the tunnel stretch from the 13.5 km loco end point to the last 50 meters into three segments to accelerate operations. “The first stretch of about 50 to 70 metres from the loco end point until the tail end of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) point will be taken up by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and HYDRAA for cleaning of muck, removal of metal, and clearing the site to loco track level,” Telangana Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar told TOI. He held a meeting with the agencies on the progress of the works to locate the missing persons.
Singareni workers are managing another stretch, including the D1, D2, and P1 sites, where digging at D1 and D2 has reached a depth of 14 feet. Meanwhile, SDRF teams are addressing intermittent sections, continuing to clear debris and metal.
Telangana special chief secretary Arvind Kumar, after a review meeting with agencies, stated that these measures aim to expedite the progress and ensure the safety of operations in the danger zone.