Sikkim tunnel collapse: 22 bodies recovered, rescue on for three workers
The bodies of 22 workers have been retrieved from the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district, officials said. Rescue
The bodies of 22 workers have been retrieved from the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district, officials said. Rescue operations are still on to locate and recover the remaining labourers after the tunnel collapsed following an explosion suspected to have been caused by methane gas shortly after 1 pm on Monday. Twenty-five workers were inside the tunnel when the accident took place. Officials said specialised teams are working in close coordination at the site, while the state government, the district administration and other agencies are monitoring the situation and support has been extended to the rescue teams and the affected families.
Read Full Story A state government official said, "The Sikkim government, district administration, and all concerned agencies continue to closely monitor the situation, while extending every possible support to the rescue teams and the affected families." Earlier, Namchi SP Sonam D Bhutia had said on Tuesday, "Out of the 25 trapped inside the tunnel, 20 are confirmed dead." Eight bodies had been identified till Wednesday. Of them, four were from West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district, while one each was from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam and Sikkim. Another official said at least four workers from Jharkhand's Khunti, Hazaribag and West Singhbhum districts were engaged at the project.
NHPC on Wednesday announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each person who died in the accident. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang had on Tuesday announced Rs 4 lakh for the next of kin of each worker who died in the accident, and Rs 50,000 for every injured person. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 each for the injured.
According to an NHPC statement, a sudden burst of suspected methane gas trapped inside the rocks led to the explosion and produced dense fumes and toxic gases in the tunnel. Rescue efforts continue at the site as authorities work to recover the remaining workers and assist the families affected by the accident. Ends
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