Sikkim forms high-level panel to probe NHPC tunnel methane blast
Sikkim government set up a four-member high-level committee to investigate a fatal methane explosion in an under-construction NHPC head race tunnel at Samardung
Sikkim has constituted a high-level committee to investigate a fatal mishap inside the under-construction head race tunnel of the NHPC Teesta-VI hydel power project. The incident occurred in the Samardung area at Jholungey in the Namchi district and claimed the lives of 25 workers.
All 25 bodies were retrieved by search teams from the tunnel, and the search and rescue operation concluded on Thursday. A suspected methane gas explosion was reported to have taken place about 1.5 km inside the tunnel, filling the area with debris and toxic fumes.
Panel led by police officer to examine cause and sequence
After visiting the site, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay announced that a high-level inquiry would be set up to examine the reasons behind the mishap. The Home department also notified the constitution of the committee to inquire into the causes and circumstances of the explosion and to suggest remedial measures to prevent recurrence.
The committee has been tasked with establishing the exact cause, nature and sequence of events leading to the explosion-like incident and the subsequent gas build-up inside the tunnel. Investigators will look at whether it could have been linked to blasting, a methane or other noxious gas pocket, equipment failure, or other factors.
Review of safety norms, ventilation and gas detection
Along with cause, the committee will review whether safety norms, standard operating procedures and relevant provisions under the Mines Act, 1952, Tunnel Safety Guidelines and Explosives Rules, 2008 were followed at the time of the incident. The review will include ventilation systems, gas detection mechanisms, personal protective equipment, and the adequacy of gas detection sensors, ventilation fans and emergency exhaust systems.
The panel has been directed to submit its report to the competent authority within 15 days. Meanwhile, rescue agencies from the State and Union governments completed the operation to locate and retrieve all bodies. The deceased workers included people from different States, with 11 from West Bengal and one from Sikkim, and the bodies have been shifted to hospitals in Singtam, Namchi and Gangtok for medico-legal procedures.
