Sikkim Tunnel Rescue Ends with 25 Bodies Recovered

Gangtok: Rescue teams pulled 25 bodies from the Head Race Tunnel at the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project in South Sikkim. The four-day operation ended Thursday, July 23, in Samardung, Jholungey. All missing personnel are now accounted for.

Operations hit a wall Tuesday. High water levels and mud forced a temporary suspension. Teams restarted work July 22. The National Disaster Response Force and the Mines Rescue Team from Asansol led the crawl. They used high-capacity pumps to drain the tunnel. A second team from Eastern Coalfields Limited arrived at 10 pm to reinforce the effort. They worked through the night.

The victims worked for NHPC Limited, ARX, and Patel Engineering Limited. They hailed from ten states: 11 from West Bengal, four from Jharkhand, two each from Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand, and one each from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Punjab, and Assam. NHPC management tracked the search from the site. Medical teams stood by to move rescuers to Rangpo Hospital if needed.

NHPC issued a statement regarding the tragedy. "NHPC expresses its profound grief over the tragic loss of lives and extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief," the company said. NHPC promised an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased worker.

Officials moved the bodies to hospitals in Singtam, Gangtok, Namchi, and the Central Referral Hospital in Manipal for legal formalities. The Sikkim government has formed a high-level committee to probe the cause of the disaster. They will also recommend safety steps to prevent future accidents.