Sikkim: Rescue teams have successfully retrieved the bodies of all 25 workers trapped inside an under-construction tunnel at the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project in Sikkim’s Namchi district. The exhaustive 72-hour search and recovery operation concluded on Thursday following continuous efforts by multi-agency emergency response units, including specialized personnel from Eastern Coalfields Limited.
The disaster occurred shortly after 1:00 PM on Monday when a sudden burst of suspected methane gas, trapped within the rock strata, triggered a violent explosion inside the head race tunnel at Samardung. The blast generated dense fumes and toxic gases, causing structural collapse and trapping the entire shift of laborers. State administrative officials confirmed that the mortal remains are being identified to facilitate their handover to bereaved families, with victims hailing from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Sikkim.
In response to the tragedy, multi-tier financial relief measures have been announced for the victims’ families. NHPC declared an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased worker, alongside Rs 4 lakh pledged by Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and Rs 2 lakh allocated from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While state authorities continue to monitor post-recovery logistics and family support, a high-level inquiry has been ordered to investigate the exact cause of the gas accumulation and evaluate structural safety protocols at the project site
