Sikkim, July 21: At least 10 workers have died in a massive methane gas explosion and landslide in a tunnel under construction in Sikkim, with 27 more trapped inside the tunnel, and rescue operations are underway.
The accident occurred in a tunnel being constructed for the NHPC Teesta Phase-6 hydropower project in Namchi district.
A total of 27 workers, including NHPC staff, were working inside the tunnel at the time of the incident.
The district administration has officially confirmed that 10 of them have died, and operations are underway to safely extract the rest.
Officials said that methane gas had accumulated about 1.5 kilometers inside the tunnel.
The explosion is said to have occurred during an attempt to ventilate the methane gas that had naturally emerged from the underground rock layers.
The intensity of the explosion caused a landslide at the entrance of the tunnel, completely blocking the exit. Although some workers were able to safely exit the tunnel immediately after the incident, many are trapped deep inside the tunnel.
The rescue operation was hampered by the methane gas inside the tunnel, lack of oxygen, thick smoke, poor visibility, and the narrow tunnel.
Initially, fire and emergency services personnel tried to enter, but they had to temporarily suspend the operation due to lack of oxygen and difficulty breathing due to the toxic gas. It is understood that some rescue workers also fell ill during the operation.
Later, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also tried to enter, but could not make much progress due to the dangerous situation.
Special gas safety team deployed:
A team of experts with special gas safety equipment has been called from West Bengal to further strengthen the rescue operation.
Operations continue through the night:
Under the supervision of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA), the district administration, NHPC officials and various rescue teams have continued the operation through the night.
According to the officials, it is essential to first remove the toxic gas in the tunnel and create a safe environment before reaching the workers, for which special technical measures are being taken. The situation is being continuously monitored and the rescue operation is still going on.