14 workers killed in India tunnel collapse after gas explosion
Quick Look
- At least 14 workers died and 11 are trapped after an under-construction tunnel collapsed due to a suspected methane gas explosion in India's Sikkim state.
- Rescue operations are ongoing, and a special investigation team has been formed to determine the cause.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
An under-construction tunnel in India's Sikkim state collapsed after a suspected methane gas explosion, killing at least 14 workers and trapping 11 others. The tunnel is part of a hydropower project developed by the state-owned NHPC.
At least 14 workers were killed after a portion of an under-construction tunnel collapsed following a gas explosion in India's north-eastern Sikkim state, officials said.
Rescue operations are continuing to locate 11 others who are reported to be trapped in the tunnel since Monday's collapse.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said the incident happened about 1.5km (0.9 miles) inside the tunnel.
The under-construction tunnel, designed to carry water from the nearby Teesta River to a hydropower plant's turbines, is part of a larger project in the Himalayan state being developed by the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
The accident happened "after [a] sudden burst of suspected methane gas trapped/embedded inside the rocks which led to [an] explosion generating dense fumes and toxic gases", NHPC said in a statement, external.
In a separate statement, the Sikkim government said the accident was caused by "methane gas combustion".
Methane is a naturally occurring gas that can sometimes be trapped underground. If tunnelling releases it into a confined space and it comes into contact with a spark or another ignition source, it can ignite or explode, a government official said.
There were 27 people working in different sections inside the tunnel - of which two managed to escape after the explosion.
"Of the 25 people who were trapped, we have recovered 14 bodies so far, and teams are working to locate the 11 other men," Superintendent of Police Sonam D Bhutia told the BBC on Wednesday morning.
The police say they have identified seven victims. One of them is from Sikkim, while others are migrants from West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Assam states.
Officials say their cause of death will be ascertained after a post-mortem examination.
The ongoing search-and-rescue operation is focused on a specific 200-metre zone where the remaining people are likely to be located, NDRF officer Mohsen Shahedi told ANI news agency.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has set up a special investigation team in connection with the incident.
"We have engaged a team of experts to find out what exactly happened and how. We will take action on the basis of the findings," Tamang told reporters.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
A special investigation team will release findings on the incident.
Very likely · Within months
The cause of death for the identified victims will be ascertained.
Very likely · Within days
Open Questions
- What is the exact cause of the methane ignition?
- What is the status of the 11 trapped workers?
- What will be the findings of the special investigation team?
