Nagarkurnool (Telangana), March 10: Search operations continued on Monday at the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel here with teams from NDRF, state-run miner Singareni Collieries, rat miners and others working at specific spots indicated by cadaver dogs and radar survey to locate the seven persons who remain trapped since February 22.The mortal remains of Gurpreet Singh, which were recovered on Sunday, have been sent to his native place in Punjab in a hearse van. Rescue personnel guided by the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys conducted by the scientists of National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad are focusing efforts at suspected locations. The search was further aided by Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRDD) of Kerala police, a senior official told PTI. The dogs have been deployed twice inside the tunnel so far and might be sent in again on March 11, he said. A robot along with all other surveillance material, including camera, modules and tools, shall be operational by March 11 and another one should be in place by March 14, he added. All three excavators functioning inside the tunnel have cleared most of the metal debris and are about 100 metres away from the tail end of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), he said. State Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar, who has been supervising the search operation, held a meeting with officials of different organisations. Kumar lauded the rescue personnel for successfully retrieving the body of Gurpreet Singh. Meanwhile, the cheque for Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia announced by the state government for the family of Gurpreet Singh was handed over to the concerned team to hand it to the family. This is over and above the insurance amount (50 times the salary) provided by the Robbins Company involved in tunnel works, according to the official. All arrangements have been made for the teams to carry out the search operation smoothly, an official release said. Gurpreet Singh, who worked as a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) operator for Robbins Co, was among the eight men trapped inside the tunnel after its partial collapse on February 22. Singh’s body could be extricated following “very careful” digging and other efforts for more than 48 hours. It was buried under silt at a depth of about 10 feet, an official said on Sunday. Singh was identified based on his earring on the left ear lobe and tattoo on the right hand. Apart from Gurpreet Singh, seven others trapped include Manoj Kumar (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand. The eight persons — engineers and labourers — got trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project tunnel after a portion of it collapsed on February 22.
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