New Delhi: Three days after a tunnel collapse at the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project in Sikkim, the death toll has risen to 22 after rescue teams recovered more bodies from the debris on Thursday. Search operations are continuing for the three workers who remain missing, with rescuers battling toxic fumes and unstable conditions inside the tunnel.
Officials said specialized teams are working round the clock to locate the remaining trapped workers.
As RNA reported earlier, the disaster unfolded on Monday when a suspected methane gas pocket embedded within the rock strata ignited inside the tunnel, triggering an explosion that caused a section of the under-construction passage to collapse. NHPC said the blast released dense fumes and toxic gases, significantly complicating rescue operations.
The identities of several victims have now been confirmed. Officials said four of the deceased were from West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district, while others hailed from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam and Sikkim. Workers from Jharkhand were also among those deployed at the project.
The Sikkim government said it is closely monitoring the rescue operation and providing assistance to affected families. NHPC has announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased worker. The chief minister, Prem Singh, Tamang has announced ₹4 lakh for the families of those killed and ₹50,000 each for the injured, while the prime minister, Narendra Modi, has announced an additional ₹2 lakh for the next of kin of every deceased worker and ₹50,000 for each injured person.
The incident has renewed concerns over safety at major infrastructure projects in the Himalayan region, where tunnel construction often faces complex geological conditions. The Sikkim government has already announced a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the cause of the collapse.