GANGTOK, Jul 21: The death toll in the collapse of an under-construction tunnel in Sikkim’s Namchi district climbed to 20 on Tuesday, while rescue teams continued efforts to reach five workers who remained trapped more than 24 hours after the accident.
The cave in occurred at the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project in Samardung shortly after 1 pm on Monday. According to officials, around 25 workers, including project officers, were inside the tunnel when it collapsed.
Namchi Superintendent of Police Sonam D. Bhutia confirmed that 20 workers had lost their lives in the incident. Rescue teams have recovered 12 bodies so far, with seven victims identified. Efforts are continuing to recover the remaining bodies and establish their identities.
NHPC said preliminary findings indicate that a sudden release of methane gas trapped within the surrounding rock triggered an explosion inside the tunnel, producing dense fumes and toxic gases that led to the collapse.
Rescue operations involving multiple agencies continued through the day, with a specialised mining rescue team from neighbouring West Bengal joining the mission to locate and safely evacuate the five workers still trapped.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang visited the accident site and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for every injured person. He also ordered the formation of a special committee to investigate the cause of the methane gas explosion and the subsequent tunnel collapse.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Chief Minister to review the situation and assured full support from the Central Government. The Prime Minister also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Governor Om Prakash Mathur accompanied the Chief Minister to the site, where both leaders reviewed rescue operations and instructed officials to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured. They also directed NHPC Chairman and Managing Director Bhupender Gupta to expedite compensation payments to the affected families.
The state leadership instructed the Namchi district administration to establish a dedicated identification and assistance centre at Rangpo to support the families of the victims, particularly those who had travelled from other states.
The Sikkim Assembly observed a two minute silence in memory of the workers who lost their lives. Addressing the House, Tamang said both Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured the state of all necessary assistance for rescue and relief efforts.
Chief Secretary Ravindra Telang later chaired a high-level review meeting in Namchi with Director General of Police Akshay Sachdeva, district officials, rescue agencies, NHPC representatives, and Patel Engineering Ltd, which is executing the tunnel’s civil works.
During the meeting, officials reviewed the rescue strategy, emphasising the need to use available oxygen supplies carefully while maintaining uninterrupted search operations. Authorities also directed all agencies to expedite the identification process of the deceased as rescue efforts entered a critical phase.