At Least 12 Dead, 13 Others Trapped After Methane Gas Leak in Under-Construction Tunnel in Sikkim

Rescue operations are ongoing to find the remaining 13 people who are trapped in the tunnel since the incident took place on Monday (July 20).

The Wire Staff

Rescue operations are ongoing to find the remaining 13 people who are trapped in the tunnel since the incident took place on Monday (July 20).

at least 12 dead 13 others trapped after methane gas leak in under construction tunnel in sikkim

Rescue personnel conduct rescue operation after about 27 workers are trapped inside an under-construction tunnel after a landslide blocked its entrance and triggered a suspected gas leak, in Namchi district, Sikkim. Photo: PTI

New Delhi: At least 12 workers were killed and 13 others were feared to be trapped after a part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed after a methane gas leak in Sikkim.

Rescue operations are ongoing to find the remaining 13 people who are trapped in the tunnel since the incident took place on Monday (July 20), reported BBC.

"Of the 25 people who were trapped, we have recovered 12 bodies so far, and teams are working to locate the 13 other men," Namchi superintendent of Police Sonam D. Bhutia told the publication on Wednesday (July 22) morning.

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) said in a statement that the incident took place on Monday around 1:04pm within the under-construction Head Race Tunnel (HRT) of NHPC Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project, Samardung, South Sikkim, where suspected methane gas trapped/contained in the rocks suddenly exploded, resulting in the release of thick smoke and toxic gases.

“The project team immediately implemented its emergency response protocols. The project team is working closely with the district administration, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local authorities, and other emergency agencies to assist in rescue operations,” said NHPC in its statement.

The NHPC added that a detailed investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident. We are committed and providing full support to the rescue agencies and the affected families, it said.

Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang has set up a special investigation team in connection with the incident, reported BBC.

"We have engaged a team of experts to find out what exactly happened and how. We will take action on the basis of the findings," Tamang told reporters.

This article went live on July twenty-second, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-eight minutes past one in the afternoon.

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