At least 9 people died and 15 others are trapped after the tunnel collapse at a hydropower project under construction in northeastern India, AFP quoted local authorities on July 21.
The tunnel collapse occurred on July 20 in Sikkim state in the Himalayas when workers were building a tunnel for a state-run hydropower project on the Teesta River.
We estimate about 25-27 people are trapped. 9 bodies have been found" - Rajiv Roka, Director of the Sikkim Disaster Management Agency, shared with AFP.
The tunnel collapse may have been caused by an explosion, the specific cause has not yet been determined.
The area where the tragedy occurred has recorded heavy rains in recent days.
Mr. Roka said that officials "are not sure what caused the explosion because it occurred deep in the tunnel", he added, "it is very likely that it was natural".
Officials added that harmful methane gas leaking from the reefs is hindering rescue efforts, leading to only teams carrying oxygen equipment being able to enter inside.
Rescue operations are being carried out urgently, but the problem is that there are a lot of toxic gases there," Mr. Roka said. He shared that a team of experts trained in mining accidents has been dispatched to support the rescue force.
Accidents at large infrastructure construction sites often occur in India, but ecologists believe that overdeveloped projects have led to more disasters in the Himalayas.
In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after 17 days of being trapped under a collapsed traffic tunnel in the Himalayas, in the northern region of Uttarakhand state.
