Sikkim Tunnel: Nine Dead, 15 Trapped After Hydropower Project Collapse in India
Rescue teams battle toxic methane gas as authorities investigate the cause of the tunnel collapse at an under-construction hydropower project in India’s Himalayan region.
Rescue teams search for trapped workers after a tunnel collapsed at a hydropower project in Sikkim.
SIKKIM, India: At least nine workers died and 15 others remained trapped after a tunnel collapsed at an under-construction hydropower project in India’s northeastern Himalayan state of Sikkim, officials said on Tuesday.
The collapse occurred on Monday at a state-run hydroelectric project on the Teesta River, where construction crews were building a tunnel. Rescue officials estimate that between 25 and 27 workers were inside the tunnel when it collapsed.
Rajiv Roka, Director of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, confirmed that rescue teams had recovered nine bodies while continuing efforts to reach those still trapped.
Authorities believe a blast triggered the collapse, although investigators have not yet determined its exact cause. Recent torrential monsoon rains may have contributed to the incident. Roka said officials could not confirm what caused the explosion because it occurred deep inside the tunnel, but he added that natural factors were the most likely explanation.
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Rescue teams have faced significant challenges because toxic methane gas continues to leak from underground rock formations. The hazardous conditions allow only specially equipped personnel carrying oxygen supplies to enter the tunnel safely.
Roka said rescue teams were carrying out intensive operations despite the dangerous environment. Authorities also flew in a specialised mining rescue unit to strengthen the ongoing operation.
Construction accidents remain a recurring challenge at major infrastructure projects across India. Environmental experts have repeatedly warned that rapid development in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region has increased the risk of natural disasters and construction-related accidents.
In 2023, rescue teams successfully saved 41 workers after they spent 17 days trapped inside a collapsed road tunnel in the northern Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.
