Telangana SLBC tunnel mishap: First body retrieved after 16 days of intensive rescue operations

Body suspected to be that of Tunnel Boring Machine operator Gurpreet Singh; physical identification process yet to commence

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

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).

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The body is suspected to be that of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operator Gurpreet Singh. However, the physical identification process has yet to commence.

One hand of the buried person surfaced late Saturday night as part of the manual excavation of the identified site. The body got buried under seven steel plates of the mangled TBM. Due to the careful handling required for the excavation work, the operation was suspended for eight hours and resumed at 8 am on Sunday.

The wreckage of the TBM parts was removed piece by piece without causing any further mutilation to the body. The body was lifted in the presence of the heads of all the rescue missions involved. It was brought out of the tunnel and shifted to the government hospital in Nagarkurnool for identification and a post-mortem examination.

Excavation work at the second point continued without any break and more bodies are expected to be unearthed anytime tonight. The rescue teams remain committed to their mission, employing advanced technologies to detect human presence and ensure the safe retrieval of the remains.