The relentless search for seven individuals trapped inside the collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with intensified efforts from multiple agencies.
Rescue teams, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Singareni Collieries, specialised rat miners, and other agencies, resumed operations early on Wednesday.
Official sources confirmed that the teams, equipped with advanced machinery, entered the tunnel in a renewed push to locate those missing.
To bolster the ongoing search, a Hyderabad-based robotics company deployed an AI-equipped robotic camera into the tunnel on Tuesday. Additionally, 110 rescue personnel have been stationed at the site to support operations.
With water and slush posing severe hazards, the Telangana government has expanded the use of robotic technology to ensure the safety of rescue workers.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who visited the tunnel on 2 March, had earlier urged officials to consider deploying robotic assistance wherever necessary.
A fresh search was conducted on Wednesday using Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRDD) to help pinpoint possible locations of the trapped workers.
According to an official release, teams are working in areas identified through cadaver dog searches and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad.
State Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management) Arvind Kumar, who has been monitoring the rescue operation, held a review meeting on Tuesday with representatives from multiple agencies involved in the mission.
The search effort is further supported by HRDDs from the Kerala Police, alongside radar surveys guiding personnel towards potential locations where the trapped workers might be.
On 9 March, rescue teams recovered the body of Gurpreet Singh, a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operator employed by a foreign company working on the project.
Also read: Telangana tunnel rescue: TBM operator’s body sent to Punjab
Singh was among the eight individuals trapped following the tunnel collapse on 22 February.
Those still missing include Manoj Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Sunny Singh (Jammu & Kashmir), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab), and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.
The trapped individuals, comprising engineers and labourers, were part of the SLBC project when a section of the tunnel caved in.
The operation remains ongoing as rescue teams push forward with their efforts to locate the missing workers.
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