The rescue operation to save eight workers trapped in the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana has entered its 16th day.
The canines specially trained to detect human remains, would be taken into the tunnel.
The rescue operation to save eight workers trapped in the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Telangana has entered its 16th day.
On Sunday, cadaver dogs will be deployed to track the workers. The dogs joined the rescue efforts on March 7, when they were taken inside the tunnel.
Citing police officials, PTI reported that the canines, specially trained to detect human remains, would be taken into the tunnel on Sunday.
According to a senior official, rescue teams will dig beyond five feet at two points identified by Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRDDs), as workers may be trapped in the second layer of the dismantled tunnel boring machine (TBM).
While the Telangana government has decided to deploy robots for the rescue operation from March 11 to ensure the safety of rescue personnel, as the challenging circumstances inside the tunnel, including water and slush, pose significant risks.
"The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has submitted an initial report in which, among other things, it has cautioned that rescue operations should be carried out with extreme caution and care in the last 70 meters (at the accident site)," the official said, as quoted by PTI.
The workers have been trapped in the SLBC tunnel since February 22 after the under-construction roof collapsed. A total of 51 workers were carrying out excavation work when the tunnel's roof caved in.
The majority of the workers managed to escape, but eight workers, including two site engineers and four labourers from Jharkhand, remained trapped.