Hyderabad, March 10: Day after recovering one body from the debris, rescue teams continued intense efforts to search for the remaining seven people in the SLBC tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district on Monday.

Rescue teams from various agencies were undertaking digging work at another point identified by the cadaver sniffer dog squad from Kerala.

Rat miners from Uttarakhand, miners from Singareni Collieries and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were carefully digging around the point with mini-excavators.

The search operation continued for the 17th day in the last 70 metres of the 14-km-long tunnel, where the eight workers were trapped after a portion of the tunnel roof collapsed on a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on February 22.

Rescue workers on Sunday evening exhumed one body from the point identified by the cadaver dog squad.

The body was identified as that of TBM operator Gurpreet Singh. The 40-year-old hailed from Punjab and was working for Robbins Company, which supplies and operates tunnel boring machines.

The body was shifted to government hospital at Nagarkurnool and after completing medical and legal formalities was taken to his hometown in Punjab.

The seven people yet to be traced are Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu and Kashmir and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.

The rescue agencies hoped that more bodies would be recovered soon based on the sniffer dog leads and the ground probing radar (GPR) scanning information provided by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).

The rescue workers continued to face challenges due to the debris of the TBM and the large amount of muck.

The TBM, which had a total length of 132.5 metres, was buried under silt and rocks in the February 22 incident.

The workers who were present in the front portion of the TBM were trapped while 42 others who were at the back end managed to come out of the tunnel.

The technicians from the South Central Railway (SCR) have so far cut the TBM into pieces for a length of about 60 metres.

The head portion of the TBM remained buried in the debris and the last 70 metres of the tunnel is still filled with 3 to 9 metres deep slush and other debris, posing a risk to the rescue workers.

While continuing dewatering and desilting, the rescue agencies were mobilising special equipment for the workers to carry out their work without the risk of being trapped in the slush.

Two cadaver dogs trained to locate missing humans and human bodies were brought from Kerala by a special helicopter three days ago.

According to officials, these dogs of the Belgian Malinois breed can detect smell even from a depth of 15 feet.

Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Singareni, SCR and other agencies are participating in the search operation.

The authorities on Saturday deployed robots for rescue operations in the tunnel as suggested by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy during his visit to the tunnel on March 2.

Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the deployment of robotic technology to accelerate rescue operations.

Robots equipped with cameras, infrared sensors, and robotic arms have been deployed to assess conditions and aid extraction.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed condolences over the death of Gurpreet Singh and announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to his next of kin.

Bhopal, March 10: Moments after Rohit Sharma and his team triumphed over New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling final of the cricket Champions Trophy, celebrations turned chaotic in Mhow near Indore, Madhya Pradesh, late Sunday night.

The festive atmosphere quickly escalated into tension among two communities as stones were pelted at the joyous crowd.

The incident occurred around 10.30 p.m. on Sunday, when a procession in the Jama Masjid area sparked a dispute over firecrackers. This quickly escalated into a confrontation, with stone-pelting spreading to several areas, including Manak Chowk, Patti Bazaar, and Market Chowk, among others.

The situation spiralled out of control when two opposing groups faced off, further intensifying the chaos. Numerous videos have emerged showing individuals from a specific community targeting jubilant cricket fans with stones. In response to the incident, a heavy police presence has been deployed to prevent further unrest.

Additional security forces have been called in to maintain control, a senior police officer told media over the phone.

Even with the police present, the stone-pelting persisted, reports said, and some individuals brandished weapons.

Anger boiled over, leading to the torching of shops and vehicles by miscreants. The violence was exacerbated by the use of petrol bombs, video footage, and reports revealed. To quell the unrest, the police resorted to using mild force through lathi charges and fired tear gas shells. The violence left two houses, four shops, and a “magic” vehicle damaged. Over a dozen vehicles were set ablaze and vandalized, unconfirmed reports said.

However, the police took over and brought the situation under control. The full extent of the damage will be determined after further investigation.

The police continue to work towards restoring order, but the area remains on edge

As soon as the Indian cricket team won the Champions Trophy 2025, jubilations erupted across the country, with lakhs taking to the streets to celebrate the win.

Ahmedabad, March 8: Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, addressed Congress party workers and former candidates of local body elections in Ahmedabad on Saturday during Samvaad programme. In his speech, he emphasized the need for the Congress party to reconnect with the people of Gujarat and strengthen its presence in the state’s political landscape.

During his address, Gandhi expressed his commitment to understanding the concerns of party workers and the people of Gujarat. “I came here to listen to what is in your hearts, to understand your pain,” he said.

He acknowledged the challenges faced by the party in Gujarat, where it has been out of power for nearly 30 years, and stressed that merely focusing on elections would not be enough to regain public trust. “Until we fulfill our responsibilities, the people of Gujarat will not elect us. We must first earn their trust,” he asserted.

Highlighting the historical contributions of Gujarat to the Congress party, Gandhi reminded the audience about Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel, both of whom played a pivotal role in India’s independence movement.

He urged the party to once again become a guiding force for the people of Gujarat, just as it had done in the past.

Gandhi pointed out internal challenges within the party, stating that there are two types of leaders within the Gujarat Congress — those who are genuinely connected to the people and those who remain distant. He stressed the need to differentiate between the two and take decisive action against those who are not aligned with the party’s core values.

“If we have to remove 10, 15, 20, or even 40 people who secretly work for the BJP, then we must do it,” he declared.

He also criticized the current leadership in Gujarat, stating that the state’s small and medium businesses, farmers, and industries were struggling and in need of a new vision. “The current model of governance has failed. The people of Gujarat are calling for change, and Congress can provide that vision,” he said.

However, he emphasized that this transformation could only happen if the party re-establishes its connection with the people.

Drawing from his experience in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi highlighted how the Congress party successfully connected with the people across India. He urged party leaders and workers in Gujarat to engage directly with citizens, listen to their problems, and build a relationship based on trust.

Encouraging confidence among party workers, Gandhi reminded them that the opposition already holds 40 per cent of the vote in Gujarat. “If we can increase our vote share by just 5 per cent, the entire political equation will change,” he said, citing Telangana as an example where Congress increased its vote share significantly.

Towards the end of his speech, he lightened the mood with a humorous remark about Gujarat’s hospitality. “Every time I come here, no matter how much I try to control my weight, you take me to restaurants and serve delicious snacks, and I end up gaining a kilo!” he joked, drawing laughter from the audience.

Gandhi concluded his address with a message of determination and unity, vowing to strengthen the party in Gujarat and reconnect with its people. “It is my responsibility to bring back the confidence of our party workers, and I will fulfill that responsibility,” he said.