All 25 Workers Dead In Sikkim Tunnel Collapse
Rescue teams continue search for three missing workers after methane gas-triggered explosion at Teesta Stage VI project.
Namchi: All 25 workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel at the NHPC Teesta Stage VI hydropower project in Sikkim’s Namchi district have been found dead, officials said on Thursday.
Three bodies were recovered on Thursday, completing search operations that continued for 72 hours after the incident on Monday.
The tunnel caved in shortly after 1 pm, reportedly following an explosion suspected to have been caused by methane gas, trapping the workers inside.
“All 25 bodies have now been recovered after 72 hours of continuous search operations,” K K Roy of the Eastern Coalfields Ltd team said. “Members of the search teams had faced difficulties in tracing the bodies. The mud was knee-deep in some places in the tunnel. The team members carried out a comprehensive inspection of the tunnel. After accounting for all recorded missing workers, they confirmed that no one remained trapped inside.”
The tunnel was filled with methane gas, mud and water, which hindered rescue efforts.
The state government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the cause of the collapse and recommend preventive measures.
The deceased workers included 11 from West Bengal, four from Jharkhand, two each from Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, and one each from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Punjab and Assam.
“All recovered bodies have been sent to Singtam District Hospital, STNM Hospital Sochakgang in Gangtok, Namchi District Hospital, and the Central Referral Hospital (CRH), Manipal, for the necessary medico-legal procedures,” an official said. Eight bodies have been handed over to families.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased. The Sikkim government and NHPC announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively.
Multiple agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and other teams, were involved in the search operation.
The recovery of all bodies concludes the search phase, with an inquiry ordered into the cause of the collapse.
