One more body recovered in NHPC Teesta Stage-VI tunnel blast; about a dozen workers still missing
Search teams retrieved one more body from the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI head race tunnel in Namchi district. So far, 13 bodies have been recovered and about a dozen:
Search and rescue teams resumed intense operations in the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI head race tunnel at Jholungey, Samardung, in the Namchi district after conditions inside the tunnel improved. On Wednesday, teams retrieved one more body from the under-construction tunnel, where a suspected methane gas explosion had occurred on Monday afternoon.
So far, 13 bodies have been recovered from the tunnel. Reports from local administration said around a dozen workers are still missing, believed to be about 1.5 km inside the tunnel. Authorities said the trapped workers are feared dead due to the circumstances inside the blast site.
Rescue efforts resumed as mud and water cleared
In the initial phase, rescue teams faced major challenges due to large volumes of mud and water accumulated inside the tunnel. As the on-ground situation improved, personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Asansol Rescue Team, and other response agencies restarted operations with full intensity. Teams continued searching and recovering persons from the site under extremely difficult conditions.
Post-mortem and identities under way
Four bodies recovered from the tunnel area were taken to STNM Hospital in Gangtok for post-mortem examination and identification. Hospital officials said one victim identified as Shyam Oran, 31, from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, was identified through distinctive tattoos and a steel kada. Work is ongoing to confirm the identities of the other three deceased persons brought to the hospital.
Preliminary findings shared by hospital administration indicated that death may have been caused by asphyxiation, likely linked to methane gas exposure. The findings also pointed to burn injuries in the chest area and other trauma that could be linked to falling debris inside the tunnel. NHPC had earlier stated that a sudden burst of suspected methane gas trapped inside rocks led to an explosion, producing dense fumes and toxic gases.
NHPC announced an ex gratia payment of Rs. 5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased. The chief minister, Prem Singh Tamang-Golay, said a high-level inquiry committee would be set up to examine the reasons for the tunnel mishap. Information shared in local reporting indicates workers affected included people from Jharkhand, Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, and Sikkim, including a reported driver from South Sikkim.
