Kerala: Search and rescue operations continue for missing person in Amayizhanjan canal in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 14 (ANI): Search and rescue operations continued on Sunday for a corporation worker who went missing in the Amayizhanjan canal near Thiruvananthapuram railway station.

All attempts to locate the person have so far failed. Now rescue teams are trying to enter the tunnel from the 5th platform.

They can only reach 30 metres and are now planning to pump water. The water and garbage in the canal are creating challenges for the rescue operation.

The corporation worker, identified as Joy, was working for the city’s municipal corporation and cleaning the canal when he went missing due to a sudden flow of water caused by heavy rains. The garbage-filled canal has made the rescue operation difficult.

Scuba divers, fire rescue officials, and robots were deployed inside the tunnel to search for him.

The Director General of the Kerala Fire and Rescue Department (KFRD), K. Padmakumar, discussed the ongoing rescue operation of a 42-year-old employee on Sunday.

Padmakumar stated that while rescue operations are ongoing, it will take time to retrieve the body due to the excessive garbage in the canal, which makes diving difficult. He said, “This entire area is under the railway line. There is a large network of old canals inside. Our scuba divers have dived 60 metres deep, but it is difficult to go further because it risks their lives.”

He further explained, “There are still 80 metres left. It’s difficult to ask them to proceed because the area has solidified over the years. We entered from one end for 60 metres, and now we will try to enter from the other end. Each inch forward is challenging because the area is covered with mud and sludge. We assume the body is buried deep and are trying our best to recover it.”

Vimal Govind, CEO of Genrobotic and Innovation, part of the team searching for the employee’s body, said their team has been making constant efforts but drainage issues have made it difficult. He noted, “We have deployed a rover to search for the body. The fire and rescue teams are also conducting operations. Right now, there is a lot of waste in the drainage, making it difficult to clear.”

He added that they expect the body to be nearby and hope to find it once the garbage is cleared. “We expect the body to be somewhere close. The main challenge is clearing the garbage. We will have to retrieve the body manually. The NDRF and fire and rescue officials are conducting the search for the missing man.”

The scuba divers have exited the tunnel but have not been able to find the body.