The Kerala Police have deployed two specially trained cadaver dogs and their handlers to assist in the ongoing rescue operation at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse site in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, where eight workers remain trapped since February 22. The team departed Thiruvananthapuram early Thursday morning, March 6, following a request from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA), as confirmed by a Kerala government statement.

The deployment of cadaver dogs—trained to detect human remains or missing persons—marks a somber shift in the 13-day effort to rescue two engineers, two operators, and four laborers buried under debris after a section of the under-construction irrigation tunnel caved in. Initial operations relied on Telangana sniffer dogs to locate survivors, but with no breakthroughs despite contributions from over 12 agencies—including the NDRF, Indian Army, Navy, and robotics teams—the focus appears to be tilting toward recovery. Kerala’s canine unit, renowned for its work in disasters like the 2020 Kozhikode plane crash, brings expertise to a site where 5-7 meters of mud and unstable conditions have thwarted progress.

Rescue efforts intensified after a March 2 breach of the damaged Tunnel Boring Machine platform, yet the trapped workers remain out of reach. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who visited on March 2, has pushed for robotic aid to minimize risks to rescuers, a plan still in play as of March 6. The cadaver dogs, expected to arrive in Hyderabad today, will target the final 20-50 meters of debris, where human access remains limited.

This interstate collaboration highlights the operation’s escalating complexity. As Telangana battles fading hope, Kerala’s contribution underscores a grim determination to resolve one of India’s most challenging rescue missions.