SLBC tunnel collapse: Body of US Robbins Co. employee Gurpreet Singh retrieved; 7 still missing

Hyderabad: Rescuers have found the body of Gurpreet Singh in the rubble of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal. On Sunday morning, sniffer dogs and a rescue team entered the tunnel and found the human remains. It was the first body to be retrieved after 16 days.

The tunnel roof collapsed on February 22. There are still seven more bodies that the rescue team is looking for.

Singh, US company employee

Gurpreet Singh from Punjab was an employee of Robbins Co., USA.

Exgratia payment

Telangana government has announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh to the family members of the deceased. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed deep condolences to the family members.

Rescue to continue

The rescuers are now able to go inside the tunnel, as the boring machine, which was stuck inside, has been dismantled. The machine was inside the tunnel when its roof collapsed. Since the machine was hampering the operations, the rescuers had to dismantle it so that people trapped inside could be retrieved.

The rescuers are now looking for Manoj Kumar (UP), Sri Niwas (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahu from Jharkhand.

Water continues to flow

The rescue team had to be extremely careful as there was still water flowing inside the tunnel. They are going in with dogs and sensors, as there is a major heap of rubble behind the dismantled boring machine.

Rescue teams on the ground

In the rescue mission at the tunnel, 11 departments, including the Indian Army and tunnel experts, are working at the site in relief operations. Rat miners were also called by the Telangana government, but due to the water and sludge, it was difficult for the miners to go inside.