NEW DELHI: Rescue teams discovered another body of a trapped worker in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel in Nagarkurnool on Tuesday morning, marking the second recovery since the tunnel’s collapse on February 22 that trapped eight workers.
The body remains in a difficult position as teams work to retrieve it, while Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy has announced compensation of Rs 25 lakhs for the families of the deceased.
“Today, in the early morning hours, we found another dead body stuck in a position, and we are currently working to retrieve it,” rescue teams reported.
The first body recovered was that of Gurpreet Singh on March 9, following the tunnel accident that occurred on February 22.
Chief minister Revanth Reddy has taken steps to expedite the rescue operations by appointing senior IAS officer Shiva Shankar Loteti as Special Officer to oversee the efforts continuously.
A review meeting of the rescue operations was held on Monday at Assembly Hall, attended by Ministers N Uttam N Kumar Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, and other officials.
Twenty-five agencies, including various wings of the Central and State governments and private organizations, are participating in the rescue operations, with 700 personnel involved in the effort.
The rescue teams are currently focused on removing debris from collapsed rocks, dismantling Tunnel Boring Machine parts, and clearing soil mounds, silt, and seepage water from inside the tunnel.
Officials reported that the rescue operations have faced delays due to poor air and light conditions, as the accident site is located 14 kilometers from the tunnel inlet. They have identified a 30-meter area around the accident site as the most dangerous zone.
State Special Chief Secretary to Disaster Management Arvind Kumar and Colonel Parikshit Mehra provided updates on the rescue progress over the past month during the review meeting.
The teams demonstrated the current situation and rescue operations through a PowerPoint presentation to the Chief Minister and other officials present at the meeting.