Sikkim tunnel collapse: 22 bodies recovered; search continues for remaining victims

Gangtok: The death toll in the tunnel collapse at the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project in South Sikkim’s Samardung has risen to 22, with rescue teams continuing intensive search and recovery operations to locate the remaining trapped workers, officials said on Thursday.

According to the latest official update, multiple rescue agencies worked through the night under extremely hazardous conditions as efforts were intensified to retrieve those still believed to be trapped inside the collapsed tunnel.

Officials said a second specialised rescue team from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Asansol, arrived at the site at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday and immediately joined the ongoing operation, bringing additional technical expertise and equipment to assist in the difficult mission.

Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Eastern Coalfields Limited and other emergency response agencies continued operations until midnight despite challenging conditions inside the tunnel, including unstable debris and restricted access.

Authorities confirmed that 22 bodies have so far been recovered from the accident site.

Search operations are continuing as rescue personnel make every effort to locate the remaining victims.

Senior officials of the state government and the district administration are continuously monitoring the rescue efforts, while coordinating with all agencies involved to ensure the operation proceeds without interruption.

Additional machinery and logistical support have also been deployed to facilitate the recovery mission.

The state government has assured all possible assistance to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragedy and reiterated its commitment to extending every necessary support to the rescue personnel engaged in the operation.

The tunnel collapse at the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project triggered one of the worst industrial disasters in Sikkim in recent years, prompting a large-scale multi-agency rescue operation.

Since the incident, specialised teams equipped with heavy machinery and technical rescue equipment have been working round the clock in a race against time to recover the remaining victims.

Rescue operations are expected to continue until all those trapped inside the tunnel are accounted for.

IANS