Thiruvananthapuram: Nearly 26 hours after rescue operations began for a man missing in the Amayizhanchan canal, a foot-like object has been sighted in the water. The visuals were captured by a robot that was redeployed. Following a search by the scuba team, it was verified that it was not a body part. The navy is expected to arrive this evening to commence rescue operations.

It remains unknown whether the person is trapped or washed away to another point in the water stretch. The condition of his health is also unknown.

Efforts to rescue Joy, who was swept away while cleaning the Amayizhanchan canal in Kerala's capital, have been fraught with challenges. The operation, suspended early on Sunday morning, resumed after more than 20 hours. A scuba diving team is leading the rescue efforts near the railway station. However, congestion caused by waste accumulation in the tunnel where the worker is trapped has complicated the mission.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) assessed the site, deploying two robots equipped with cameras to inspect the manhole adjacent to the railway line near the canal. These robots are crucial for removing debris and conducting thorough examinations.

The worker remains trapped in a tunnel filled with waste, posing a major obstacle to the rescue operation. Despite attempts by scuba divers to penetrate 30 metres into the tunnel, their efforts were thwarted by darkness and congestion, forcing them to crawl on their knees.

Priority is now on clearing the congested tunnel to facilitate further entry. The exact whereabouts and condition of the trapped worker remain unknown.

Joy and his colleagues were hired by a contractor commissioned by the Railways to clean this particular section of the canal. He was swept away while working under a 200-metre-long tunnel that runs beneath the railway tracks at the central station.