Geologist killed in Sikkim tunnel accident incinerated in Kottayam

Aneesh Mohan | Photo credit: SPECIAL PROVISIONS

The mortal remains of Aneesh Mohan (43), a geologist who died in a landslide at a tunnel construction site in Sikkim, were cremated at his residence at Pathazhakkuzhy in Pampady on Saturday. The funeral took place in the evening after members of the public paid their last respects. Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph paid tributes on behalf of the Government of Kerala.

The process of taking the body back to Kerala was expedited after the state government intervened. The mortal remains were taken by ambulance from Sikkim to the Kolkata airport where they arrived around noon on Friday. The body was embalmed in a specially arranged mobile unit before being taken to Kochi. He arrived at the airport on Saturday morning and was later taken by ambulance to his residence in Kottayam.

Aneesh’s wife Sangeetha, his brothers Sanal and Bineesh and officials of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), where he was employed, accompanied the mortal remains. The accident occurred on July 20 inside a seven-kilometer tunnel under construction in Namchi district as part of the fourth phase of the Teesta hydroelectric project.

Aneesh, senior manager and geologist of NHPC, has been associated with the organization for the past 16 years. He was posted to Sikkim from Haryana seven months ago and was part of the team responsible for assessing the geological characteristics of the tunnel. Aneesh completed his BSc in Geology from Government College, Kottayam from 2001 to 2004 and his MS from the same institution from 2004 to 2006. He joined NHPC in Haryana in 2011 and lived there with his family before being transferred to Sikkim.

Aneesh is survived by his wife, children Arnav and Karthyayani and his parents, PK Mohanan and Amminikutty. Aneesh was widely known for his YouTube channel, Scientific Malayali, through which he popularized science among the Malayalam-speaking audience. The channel has over 2.75 million subscribers and features over 203 videos on a wide range of science topics.

Published – 25 July 2026 20:00 IST