Assam workers among dead in Sikkim tunnel tragedy; 10 bodies recovered, 27 trapped as rescue continues

Rescue teams have recovered 10 bodies from the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI tunnel disaster in Sikkim, while around 27 workers are believed to have been trapped, Superintendent of Police (SP), Namchi, Sonam Dolma said on July 21.

Addressing the media from the accident site, Dolma said the number of trapped workers remains provisional and could change as verification continues.

"Around 27 people are trapped; this number could fluctuate. While 27 were trapped, we have managed to recover 10 bodies so far," she said.

She added that authorities are still trying to identify three of the recovered bodies.

"We are currently unable to identify three of them, and the identification process is ongoing. We are trying to contact the next of kin or families of those we have identified so that we can hand over the bodies," Dolma said.

According to the SP, the deceased identified so far include three persons from West Bengal, one from Uttarakhand, individuals from Assam, and one from Sikkim.

Refusing to speculate on the cause of the tragedy, Dolma said a detailed investigation would determine the circumstances that led to the incident.

"I cannot state the cause right now because an inquiry and investigation are required, and we also need to seek expert opinions. We will address that later, but our current focus is on completing the rescue operation as quickly as possible," she said.

The rescue operation is being jointly carried out by multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), Fire and Emergency Services, state police and district administration.

"All state agencies, the NDRF units, and the Additional SP's team are here at ground zero. The fire services and SSDMA personnel are all engaged in this effort," Dolma said.

She said the rescue mission faced major setbacks after heavy rainfall overnight caused water to accumulate inside the tunnel, worsening already hazardous conditions.

"The impact has been significant. The heavy rainfall since last night caused water to accumulate inside the tunnel, which hampered the rescue operation. Conditions inside were already difficult, and the water created further complications. However, the rescue operation resumed after the water was drained," she added.

The incident occurred after a reported methane gas explosion inside the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage-VI hydropower project tunnel, triggering a collapse that trapped workers underground.

The Sikkim government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, while rescue teams continue efforts to locate and recover those still trapped.