Sikkim Tunnel Collapse Kills 12, Gas Explosion Triggers Rescue Chaos

At least twelve workers died after a section of an under‑construction tunnel collapsed in north‑eastern Sikkim following a methane gas burst, officials confirmed. Rescue operators continue to search for an additional thirteen men who are believed to be trapped inside the tunnel structure.

The incident occurred about 1.5 km from the tunnel entrance. The shaft, designed to carry water from the nearby Teesta River to turbines at a proposed hydropower plant, is part of a larger project managed by the state‑owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation.

According to NHPC’s statement, the explosion resulted from a sudden release of methane that ignited or detonated, creating dense fumes and toxic gases. The Sikkim state government echoed the cause as “methane gas combustion” and warned that underground methane can ignite when released into a confined space.

Twenty‑seven workers were inside the tunnel when the blast occurred: two escaped, twenty‑five were trapped. Police recovered twelve bodies and identified seven victims, six of whom were migrants from West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Assam.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has commissioned a special investigative team to examine the collapse and will act on the findings. The National Disaster Response Force is concentrating search efforts on a specific 200‑metre zone where the remaining workers are likely located.

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