Desperate search for missing worker in Kerala canal

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India: Search and rescue operations continued on Sunday for a corporation worker missing in the Amayizhanjan canal near Thiruvananthapuram railway station in the south Indian state of Kerala. Despite extensive efforts, the worker has not been found.

Rescue teams are now attempting to access the canal through the fifth platform tunnel. However, they can only reach 30 meters due to water and garbage obstructing their progress. They plan to pump out the water to continue the search.

The missing worker, identified as Joy, was cleaning the canal for the city's municipal corporation when he was swept away by a sudden surge of water caused by heavy rains. The canal's garbage-filled condition has significantly hindered rescue efforts.

Scuba divers, fire rescue officials, and robots have been deployed to search the tunnel. Kerala Fire and Rescue Department Director General K. Padmakumar stated that recovering the body will be challenging due to the excessive garbage making diving extremely difficult. He explained that the canal is a complex network of old tunnels, and the solidified conditions after many years pose a significant risk to divers.

Vimal Govind, CEO of Genrobotic and Innovation, involved in the search, confirmed the difficulties caused by drainage issues. Their team is using a rover to assist in the search, but clearing the vast amount of waste remains a primary obstacle. Both Govind and Padmakumar expressed hope that the body is nearby and can be recovered once the garbage is cleared.

Despite the scuba divers entering the tunnel, they have been unable to locate the missing worker.