Rescue teams continue coordinated operations to locate and recover the remaining victims.
Namchi (Sikkim): The death toll from the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel incident in Sikkimâs Namchi district has risen to 22 after nine more bodies were recovered during overnight rescue operations, officials said on Thursday.
Search and rescue teams continued operations throughout the night, with agencies intensifying efforts to locate and recover workers who remain trapped.
According to the latest update, the bodies of 22 victims have been recovered from the tunnel so far. A second rescue team from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Asansol, reached the site at around 10pm on Wednesday and joined the ongoing operations.
Working in extremely difficult conditions, the rescue teams continued their efforts through the night, with operations carried out until midnight as they searched for and recovered the victims.
Rescue operations are still underway, with specialised teams working in close coordination to locate and recover the remaining victims.
The state government, district administration, and other concerned agencies continue to monitor the situation closely, providing all possible assistance to rescue personnel and supporting the affected families.
Rescue operations are continuing at the site.
The efforts had been temporarily suspended on Wednesday after large amounts of mud and water accumulated inside the tunnel, creating difficult conditions and obstructing the rescue work.
After conditions inside the tunnel improved, teams from the NDRF, a coal expert unit from Asansol, and other emergency response agencies resumed operations with renewed efforts.
Rescue personnel continued intensive search and recovery operations in extremely challenging conditions, focusing on locating and retrieving those who remain trapped.
On Tuesday, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang announced financial assistance for the victims and said a detailed inquiry would be carried out into the incident. He added that strict action would be taken if any negligence by the executing company is found.
Speaking to reporters at the site, Tamang said the state administration responded quickly after the accident, deploying multiple rescue agencies to conduct operations inside the under-construction tunnel.
According to NHPC officials, the incident took place on July 20 inside the under-construction Head Race Tunnel (HRT) at Samardung. A sudden release of suspected methane gas trapped within rock formations is believed to have triggered an explosion, causing dense fumes and toxic gases to spread through the tunnel.
