Nine dead, 15 trapped after tunnel collapse in India's remote northeast

At least nine people have died and 15 others remained trapped after a tunnel collapsed at an under-construction hydroelectric project in India’s remote northeast, according to officials cited in a monitored public feed on Tuesday.

The collapse took place on Monday in Sikkim, a Himalayan state where workers were building a tunnel for a state-run hydropower project on the Teesta river. Rescue teams have been trying to reach those still inside, but the operation has been complicated by toxic methane gas seeping from underground rock formations, officials said.

Rajiv Roka, director of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, said authorities estimated that about 25 to 27 people may have been trapped when the tunnel gave way. He said nine bodies had been recovered by Tuesday.

“We are not sure what caused the blast because it was deep in the tunnel,” Roka told AFP, adding that it was “most probably natural.” Officials said the collapse was likely triggered by a blast, though the exact cause has not yet been determined.

The region has been hit by heavy monsoon rains in recent days, adding to already difficult conditions in the mountainous terrain. Rescue efforts have been limited to teams equipped with oxygen gear because of the gas inside the tunnel, officials said.

“Aggressive rescue operations are under way, but the problem is there’s a lot of gas present there,” Roka said. A specialised team trained in mining accidents has also been flown in to help with the operation.

Tunnel and infrastructure accidents are not unusual in India, particularly on large construction sites in difficult terrain. Environmental groups have long warned that intensive development in fragile Himalayan areas can increase the risk of such disasters.

A similar tunnel collapse in northern Uttarakhand state in 2023 left 41 workers trapped for 17 days before they were rescued.

The account above is based on a monitored public feed and attributed reporting from Dawn World. Source: Dawn World - https://www.dawn.com/news/2017225/nine-dead-15-trapped-after-tunnel-collapse-in-indias-remote-northeast