In India’s northeastern Himalayan state of Sikkim, close to the Chinese border, a suspected gas explosion caused an under-construction tunnel at a hydroelectric project to collapse, leaving at least 10 people dead and 17 more unaccounted for, officials said on Tuesday. Anupama Tamling, a local civil official, told reporters that the explosion tore through the tunnel on Monday at Samardung village, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Gangtok, the state capital, where several workers were working on the 500 megawatt Teesta hydroelectric project. Authorities were informed by survivors who were able to flee that they heard a loud explosion before debris crashed through the tunnel, trapping dozens inside, she said.
Six employees of the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is constructing the project, entered the tunnel to help with rescue operations as word of the tragedy spread, but they were stuck themselves, according to officials.Ten bodies have been found thus far, and 17 more are thought to be trapped, local police chief Sonam Dolma informed reporters. Because of the dangerous conditions inside the tunnel, where toxic gases have gathered, rescue personnel, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), have been having difficulty reaching people inside.Nitin Kumar, an NDRF official, informed reporters at the scene, “We discovered hazardous gases like hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, and methane inside the tunnel.” He claimed that while searching for survivors in hazardous air conditions, rescuers were utilizing specialist breathing apparatus.
In India, where rapid infrastructure development frequently collides with delicate geology, construction errors, extreme weather, and safety regulations, construction accidents are not unusual. Tunnel projects are particularly dangerous in the Himalayan region due to unstable subterranean conditions, seismic activity, and brittle mountains. 41 workers were trapped for 17 days before being rescued when a portion of a tunnel in the northern state of Uttarakhand collapsed in 2023.
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