Sikkim NHPC tunnel collapse: 22 bodies found, search for 3 trapped | Today’s news
The death toll in the NHPC tunnel collapse in Sikkim’s Namchi district rose to 22 on Wednesday, with rescue teams continuing a round-the-clock operation to find at least three more people believed to be trapped inside the under-construction tunnel.
The incident occurred on Monday in the seven-kilometer race tunnel (HRT) of the Teesta Stage-VI hydroelectric project when a pocket of methane gas trapped in rock layers reportedly ruptured, triggering an explosion that generated intense heat, flames and toxic fumes.
“So far we have managed to pull out 22 bodies. If there were 25 people in the tunnel, then around three are still inside. The rescue operation is going on 24×7,” Superintendent of Police Namchi Sonam Doma Bhutia told The Indian Express.
The rescue operation is still ongoing
In a statement, the NHPC said that all efforts were being made to locate and evacuate the remaining personnel as quickly as possible. The corporation said its top management was present at the scene and was closely coordinating rescue operations with all agencies involved.
Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Sikkim Police, Army, District Administration, NHPC, Patel Engineering Ltd, Eastern Coalfields Ltd and Western Coalfields Ltd are participating in the rescue operation.
Rescuers said the operation remains difficult as large parts of the tunnel are flooded with mud and water, while toxic fumes have forced teams to use breathing apparatus inside the tunnel.
“We are trying to retrieve visible bodies. At this stage, we don’t know how many more are trapped deeper inside. Our priority is to retrieve the bodies we can see, but the accumulated water is making movement very difficult,” Abhijit Kundu, superintendent of Eastern Coalfields Ltd, told the Indian Express.
NHPC announces ex gratia
An NDRF official said after the current phase of recovery is completed, teams will examine the remaining sections of the seven-kilometer tunnel to see if anyone else is trapped.
NHPC announced ex gratia of ₹5 lakhs to the next of kin of each deceased. According to officials, many of those killed were residents of Malbazar in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.
The tunnel is part of the Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project and is being built to carry high-pressure water from the reservoir to the power plant.
