7 Dead, Several Trapped After Tunnel Blast at Sikkim Hydropower Project

Gangtok, July 21: At least seven workers were killed and several others remain trapped after a methane gas explosion triggered a landslide inside an under-construction tunnel at the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI hydropower project in Sikkim on Monday.

According to the district administration, the blast occurred about 1.5 km inside the tunnel during an attempt to release accumulated methane gas. Rescue operations by the NDRF, SDRF and other agencies are ongoing but have been hindered by hazardous gas levels and unstable conditions inside the tunnel. Authorities are verifying the exact number of workers trapped.