Gangtok, July 21: The death toll in the tunnel blast at the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project in South Sikkim’s Namchi district has risen to 10, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said on Tuesday, even as rescue teams continued searching for workers believed to be trapped inside.
Addressing reporters, Tamang said 25 workers were trapped inside the tunnel after the explosion on Monday afternoon. Two workers managed to escape, while rescue teams have so far recovered 10 bodies.
“As you know, yesterday an explosion occurred inside the under-construction tunnel. Around 27 workers were inside at the time. Two managed to escape, but 25 remained trapped. So far, rescue teams have recovered 10 bodies,” the Chief Minister said.
He said the rescue operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), mine rescue teams and other agencies, is continuing under challenging conditions.
Tamang said preliminary information indicated that the explosion was caused by methane gas and not by landslides or heavy rain.
“We have heard that the blast happened due to methane gas. It did not happen because of landslides or rain,” he said, adding that the state government would institute a high-level inquiry to determine the cause of the accident and fix responsibility.
The Chief Minister announced an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the families of those killed and ₹50,000 for the injured. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him and assured all possible assistance for the rescue operation.
Prem Kumar, Deputy Commandant of the NDRF’s 2nd Battalion, said four NDRF teams were deployed at the site on Monday evening and have been carrying out rescue operations since then.
“So far, 10 bodies have been recovered. Our teams are following all safety protocols while carrying out the operation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abhijeet Kundu, Superintendent of Rescue, Eastern Coalfields, said his team had spotted another seven to eight bodies inside the tunnel but had not found any survivors during the initial search.
“Our teams are carrying oxygen cylinders because the tunnel is around 1.5 km long and conditions inside are extremely difficult. We remain hopeful that if anyone is still alive, we will be able to rescue them,” he said.
Rescue operations are continuing with specialised equipment as teams work through the hazardous underground conditions to recover those still inside the tunnel.
