Guwahati, India — A devastating gas explosion on Monday led to a tragic tunnel collapse at a hydropower project in Sikkim, a northeastern state in India. As of Tuesday, officials reported that at least 11 people had lost their lives, and 14 others remain unaccounted for.
According to Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who visited the site near the China border, the explosion was caused by a build-up of methane gas. Initially, at least 27 individuals were trapped, which included some rescue workers who had rushed into the tunnel after the blast. Reports indicate that two construction workers managed to escape.
The explosion occurred in Samardung village, roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Gangtok, the state capital. Workers were engaged in constructing the 500-megawatt Teesta hydroelectric project when the incident took place. Survivors recounted hearing a loud bang before debris overwhelmed the tunnel, trapping many inside.
By Tuesday, rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had retrieved 11 bodies, while efforts to locate the remaining trapped individuals continued. The situation was complicated by toxic gases within the tunnel, including methane and carbon monoxide. NDRF official Nitin Kumar confirmed that rescuers were equipped with breathing gear as they searched for survivors amid dangerous air conditions.
Disturbingly, six officials from the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is overseeing the project, also entered the tunnel to aid rescue but ended up being trapped themselves.
Construction accidents are frequent in India, where rapid infrastructural growth often meets challenges from unstable geology and insufficient safety measures. The Himalayan region, known for its fragile mountains and seismic activity, presents additional risks for tunnel construction. Earlier this year, an explosion in a coal mine in the neighboring state of Meghalaya claimed the lives of at least 18 workers. In a separate incident in Uttarakhand, a tunnel collapse trapped 41 workers for 17 days before they were rescued.
Experts point out that the Teesta River basin, where the hydropower project is located, is in a seismically active area composed of young, fragile rock. Dr. Devesh Walia, a geology professor, explained that the accumulation of methane and other gases underground could have potentially sparked the explosion.
