At least nine workers have lost their lives and more than 15 others are feared trapped following a powerful explosion inside a construction tunnel in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, according to officials.
The incident occurred Monday at a hydroelectric project on the Teesta river in the village of Samardung. The project is operated by a state-owned power company called NHPC. District official Subash Ghimirey confirmed the details to Reuters.
A state disaster management official, Rajiv Roka, said investigators believe a natural gas pocket may have triggered the blast, though the exact cause has not yet been confirmed. “The incident was caused by a possible natural gas blast but we cannot say for sure yet,” Roka said. “Nine bodies have been recovered — the bodies are charred, so it suggests there was a blast.”
Roka also cautioned that the outlook for surviving workers remains bleak. Rescue crews attempting to reach those still inside the tunnel have been hampered by dangerous air conditions that make it difficult to breathe.
The state government posted on its official Facebook page — citing information from NHPC — that at least 25 workers and project personnel were trapped in the tunnel at the time. That total includes the nine individuals whose bodies have since been recovered.
An NHPC spokesperson had not responded to a request for comment as of the time of this report.
Images shared on the state government’s Facebook page showed rescue workers dressed in orange hazard suits unloading oxygen tanks, ropes, and other emergency equipment from a vehicle at the scene.
