A body presumed to be that of a sanitation worker who fell into a drainage canal in Thiruvananthapuram on July 13 has been recovered after approximately 46 hours, officials announced on Monday.
The body of N Joy, 42, was discovered today in the canal behind Sree Chitra Home at Thakarapparambu. Police and municipal authorities were notified by Rajendran, the Councillor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Two sanitation workers from the corporation, Rajeev and Manoj, identified the body as Joy's.
One of the workers recounted to ANI, "We arrived at the site at 9:30 AM today and were among the first to locate the body. It was found between Uppalamoodu and Thakarapparambu." The worker speculated that the body had been carried away by the heavy rains the previous day.
The body has been transported to the Government Medical College Hospital for official confirmation. Joy went missing on July 13 while cleaning the drainage canal at Amayazhinchan Thodu in Thampanoor Railway Station premises, reportedly swept away by the canal beneath the platform tracks.
Rescue efforts involved personnel from the Fire Force, National Disaster Response Force, and the Indian Navy. Rajendran emphasized the need for the corporation to prevent waste accumulation in the canal. Scuba divers were deployed into the tunnel and manholes between the railway tracks to search for Joy, hindered by solid waste in the canal. A robot equipped with a camera was also utilized to explore the dark depths of the tunnel on Sunday.
Scuba diver Vojin M from the Thiruvananthapuram unit stated, "We are currently conducting rescue operations at the third platform. However, due to the excessive waste and minimal water, deep diving is impossible." Rescue personnel attempted to continue their search by entering manholes inside the railway station, but were obstructed by large bundles of garbage and insufficient water levels.
