10 dead in methane blast at NHPC's Teesta VI project tunnel in Sikkim; rescue on

New Delhi: Ten of the 25 personnel trapped inside the under-construction Head Race Tunnel (HRT) of NHPC's Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project in Sikkim have died, the state-run power producer said in a statement on Tuesday, a day after the incident. Namchi police said 10 bodies had been recovered by 9.30 am on Tuesday, seven of them identified and three sent unidentified to hospitals in Singtam and Gangtok.

NHPC said the incident occurred at 1.04 pm on July 20 at its 500-MW project at Samardung, in the Jholungey area, which is in South Sikkim. In a statement, the company attributed the incident to a "sudden burst of suspected methane gas trapped/embedded inside the rocks which led to explosion generating dense fumes and toxic gases."

Sikkim CM says Teesta VI tunnel caved in due to landslide

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said the tunnel had caved in due to a landslide, trapping project officials and workers inside. The district administration has said the exact cause is yet to be ascertained. NHPC itself said a "detailed investigation will be undertaken to ascertain the cause of the incident."

Officials said suspected methane gas inside the tunnel has severely hampered rescue efforts, with the NDRF citing the gas as an obstacle after recovering one body earlier.

Several trapped inside Teesta VI tunnel

The figures pertaining to how many people remained trapped inside the tunnel varied across statements. NHPC's filing said 25 personnel were trapped, of whom 10 were casualties "so far." The district administration earlier confirmed eight fatalities and put the number feared trapped at around 27. Of the seven victims identified by police, four were from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal and one each from Assam, Punjab, Dehradun in Uttarakhand, and Namchi. Namchi District Collector Anupa Tamling said the exact number of workers inside was still to be verified and could be higher or lower than the current estimate, with a clearer picture expected once the NDRF team inside the tunnel returned.

Multiple agencies engaged in round-the-clock rescue

NHPC said its project team activated emergency response protocols and was coordinating with the district administration, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), local authorities and other emergency agencies. It added that "a special rescue team from DG Mines-Safety has also reached the site for rescue operations," and that "our site engineering teams are working round-the-clock alongside the authorities to assist in stabilising the tunnel environment and ensuring rescue."

The company said its top management had reached the site and that "all possible efforts are being made for the evacuation of the trapped personnel."

Modi, Shah speak to CM; Centre assures assistance

The Sikkim CM said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had separately spoken to him to review the situation and the rescue effort. He said Modi's "words of concern and compassion for the affected workers and their families," together with an assurance of central assistance, had reassured the people of Sikkim. He said Shah "assured every possible assistance from the Government of India."

Tamang said the NDRF, SDRF, SSDMA, district administration, local police, medical teams from the Rangpo Primary Health Centre and the local community were working in coordination to support the rescue and assist those affected.

Investigation ordered

NHPC said it was extending full support to the rescue agencies and the affected families. "In this hour of grief, prayers of NHPC family are with the affected families during this difficult time," the statement said.

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The Teesta VI project, still under construction, was among the NHPC assets in the Teesta basin disrupted by the October 2023 flash floods. NHPC's nearby 510 MW Teesta-V power station in the same basin, which the floods had knocked offline, returned to full commercial operation just days ago on July 16, after a gap of three years.

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