The broken parts of the huge Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which were obstructing excavation at the 'D1, D2' spots were being removed, an official statement said.
SLBC tunnel (File picture)
Nagarkurnool (Telangana), March 23: The search operation to locate seven persons trapped inside the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel here was underway at a rapid pace on Sunday, officials said.
The process of dewatering and removal of soil was going on continuously at the 'D1, D2' spots identified for possible human presence, they added.
The broken parts of the huge Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) which were obstructing excavation at the 'D1, D2' spots were being removed, an official statement said.
The muck inside the tunnel was being removed using water jet and soil was being shifted out using excavators and a conveyor belt, it said.
The search operation has been expedited, except at locations which are considered dangerous inside the tunnel, it said.
Electricity and ventilation have been restored up to the accident site, it said.
Nagarkurnool district Collector Badavath Santosh, who held a meeting on the search operation, appreciated the personnel of various agencies who have been making relentless efforts to locate the seven missing persons since February 22 when the tunnel collapsed partially, it said.
The teams of NDRF, Telangana SDRF, South Central Railway and state-run miner Singareni Collieries are working continuously, it added.
The body of Gurpreet Singh, a TBM operator, was recovered on March 9 and handed over to his family in Punjab. Seven others remain trapped inside the tunnel.
A total of eight individuals including engineers and labourers were trapped in the SLBC project tunnel when a portion of it collapsed on February 22.
( Source : PTI )
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