Sikkim Tunnel Blast Claims 22 Lives; Rescue for Three Missing Continues
The death toll from a blast inside an under-construction tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district has risen to 22, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The rescue operation for at least three more people feared trapped is ongoing, now in its third day.
The explosion occurred on Monday afternoon inside a seven-kilometre tunnel of the Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project, being developed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Patel Engineering Limited. Those present at the time included senior officials on a routine inspection.
Namchi District Superintendent of Police Sonam Doma Bhutia said that 22 bodies have been recovered so far. If there were 25 people inside the tunnel at the time of the incident, three remain unaccounted for. The rescue operation continues round the clock.
NHPC stated that every possible effort is being made to locate and rescue the remaining personnel. Their top management is present at the site, coordinating with multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, and mining companies such as Eastern Coalfields Limited and Western Coalfields Limited.
NHPC has announced an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. Most of the victims were from the Malbazar area in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced a similar compensation of ₹5 lakh from the state government and a job for one family member as a civic volunteer.
Rescue teams are now planning to explore deeper sections of the tunnel. According to Abhijit Kundu, Superintendent of Eastern Coalfields Limited, after retrieving the 22 bodies, the team will check the rest of the tunnel for any survivors. An NDRF official noted that the tunnel is very long, and entry requires oxygen support due to hazardous conditions.
Police sources said the blast likely occurred when excavation work accidentally struck pockets of methane gas trapped within rock layers. The gas then ignited, causing an explosion and subsequent cave-in. The tunnel was being constructed to carry high-pressure water from the reservoir to the powerhouse.
Eight bodies have been identified as of Wednesday: four from Jalpaiguri (West Bengal), and one each from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Sikkim. Efforts to identify the remaining bodies are continuing. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren urged his Sikkim counterpart Prem Singh Tamang to ensure support for affected workers from Jharkhand, with at least four believed to be among the deceased.
