12 workers trapped in Sikkim tunnel after landslide blocks entrance
Twelve workers are trapped in an under-construction tunnel in Sikkim, India, following a landslide that blocked the entrance. Rescue operations are currently hindered by the presence of toxic gas leaking from the disturbed rock formations.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing safety risks associated with large-scale infrastructure projects in geologically sensitive mountainous regions.
NAMCHI (Sikkim): At least 12 workers were trapped inside an under-construction road tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district after a landslide blocked its entrance on Monday afternoon, police said. The landslide also triggered a suspected gas leak inside the Samardung tunnel, according to officials. Authorities said the gas is believed to be naturally emanating from underground strata or rock formations disturbed by the landslide. Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and the Fire and Emergency Services have been deployed at the site and are carrying out rescue operations."Rescue operations are underway, but the operation has been complicated by the presence of gas inside the tunnel.
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