Sikkim: Teesta Stage VI Tunnel rescue ends, all 25 victims recovered after four-day operation

The four-day search and rescue operation at the under-construction tunnel of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project at Samardung in Jholungey under Sikkim's Namchi district concluded on Thursday, July 23, with rescue teams recovering all 25 workers and officials who had been reported missing following the tunnel incident.

According to the Namchi District Administration, three more bodies were recovered during the final phase of the operation, taking the total number of deceased recovered to 25. Following the recovery, rescue personnel conducted a comprehensive inspection of the tunnel and confirmed that no workers remained trapped inside after reconciling the records of all those reported missing.

The victims included employees and workers associated with NHPC Limited, ARX, and Patel Engineering Limited. They belonged to ten states across the country, including 11 from West Bengal, four from Jharkhand, two each from Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, and one each from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Punjab, and Assam.

Authorities said all recovered bodies have been shifted to Singtam District Hospital, STNM Hospital at Sochakgang in Gangtok, Namchi District Hospital, and the Central Referral Hospital (CRH), Manipal, for medico-legal formalities. The identified bodies have subsequently been handed over to their respective families.

The Sikkim government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the cause and circumstances of the incident. The panel has also been tasked with recommending measures to prevent similar accidents at infrastructure projects in the future.

The rescue operation was carried out under the supervision of the Namchi District Administration with the support of multiple agencies, including NHPC officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Mines Rescue Team of Eastern Coalfields Limited, Asansol, Sikkim Police, Fire and Emergency Services, the Health and Family Welfare Department, and other line departments. The operation was closely monitored by the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

With the completion of the mission, the District Administration thanked all participating agencies and personnel for their coordinated efforts, professionalism, and commitment in carrying out the challenging four-day search and recovery operation.