Telangana SLBC tunnel collapse: First body retrieved identified as tunnel boring machine operator from Punjab

Cadaver dogs play significant role in locating body; Chief Minister Revanth Reddy announces ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh

Hyderabad: The first body that was retrieved from the SLBC tunnel collapse site was identified as of Gurpreet Singh, a tunnel boring machine operator deployed by American firm Robbins.

It was after 16 days of intensive operations, involving over a dozen national and State agencies, that the body of one of the eight missing workers was retrieved from the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel at 6 pm on Sunday.

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Cadaver dogs played a significant role in locating the body, which was unearthed from the same point identified by the dog squad and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed condolences over the death of the worker engaged in the SLBC tunnel works. The Chief Minister announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh.

The rescue teams identified the human remains as Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, who was one among eight workers trapped in the tunnel after roof collapse incident.

The mortal remains of Singh have been sent to his hometown in Punjab, according to an official statement.