Rescuers resume operation to recover remaining bodies from Sikkim’s NHPC tunnel
Rescue operations have resumed at the NHPC Teesta Stage VI project in Sikkim following a tunnel collapse caused by a methane gas explosion that killed at least 20 workers. Authorities are currently draining water from the site to recover the remaining bodies.
Why it matters
The incident highlights significant safety risks in large-scale infrastructure projects and the challenges of disaster management in remote, high-altitude regions.
Search and rescue operations at the under-construction NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district resumed on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) after being temporarily suspended due to the accumulation of mud and water inside the tunnel, officials said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Asansol rescue team resumed operations early in the day, with efforts focused on pumping water out of the tunnel, they said.
At least 20 workers were killed after the tunnel under construction collapsed following an explosion of suspected methane gas.
Officials said that 12 bodies have so far been retrieved from the tunnel.
The recovery of the remaining bodies will begin once the accumulated water is drained and the site is declared safe for further operations, they said.
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