Sikkim tunnel tragedy: methane blast now believed to be cause, rescue continues
New details from the Samardung tunnel tragedy in Namchi suggest a methane gas explosion during excavation, not a landslide. Rescue teams have recovered 10. A S!
Rescue teams working inside the Samardung tunnel in Namchi district say fresh information points to a possible methane gas explosion during excavation work. Earlier reports had described a landslide inside the tunnel, followed by a methane gas leak that made rescue operations difficult.
Excavation hit rock with trapped gas
Sources at the project site said excavation work struck rock formations that had trapped methane gas. They said this led to an explosion, and that a massive methane gas leak then spread quickly through the under-construction tunnel.
The incident is described as leaving workers with limited time to escape. Personnel who entered the tunnel initially were forced to retreat because methane levels were high, before they could reach those feared trapped. The workers believed to be trapped are reported to be from different parts of the country, including Jharkhand, Assam, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Burn injuries and earlier leak reports
Further signs cited in support of the methane explosion theory include the kind of injuries reported on recovered bodies. Sources said the victims were not found trapped beneath collapsed earth or rocks. They added that some bodies showed extensive burn injuries, which they link to an explosion and rapid gas spread rather than a burial under debris.
Officials also pointed to a previous methane gas leak inside the tunnel, reported to have occurred about four months ago. That earlier incident was described as smaller, with a few workers reportedly sustaining first-degree burn injuries and no one trapped. Monday’s incident is described as more severe due to the explosion and the number of workers caught inside.
The Samardung tunnel is part of the under-construction Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project in Namchi district. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said a Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the cause. As of 9:30 am on Tuesday, rescue teams had recovered 10 bodies. Names shared include Bolo Oraon and Gora Oraon from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal; Yasohal from Pathankot, Punjab; Vikey Rawat from Dehradun in Uttarakhand; Bikesar Oraon from Jalpaiguri; Babul Borodalai from Assam; and Lakpa Dorjee Tamang from Katang in Namchi. Three other bodies were unidentified. The bodies have been shifted to Namchi District Hospital, STNM Hospital, and Singtam District Hospital for further procedures. An additional NDRF team entered the tunnel to continue search and rescue for workers still feared trapped.
