Death toll in NHPC tunnel disaster rises to 15 as three more bodies recovered
Of the 25 personnel trapped inside the tunnel, 13 bodies have been recovered so far, while efforts are underway to evacuate the remaining personnel.
Rescue teams on Thursday recovered the last three bodies from the under-construction tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project at Samardung, Jholungey in Sikkim’s Namchi district.
The operation lasting four days of relentless search and rescue efforts under extremely challenging conditions led to the death toll rising to 25, formally concluding the operation.
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Officials said a comprehensive inspection of the tunnel was carried out after the final recovery, confirming that all workers reported missing had been accounted for and that no one remained trapped inside.
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The deceased included workers and officials associated with NHPC Limited, ARX and Patel Engineering Limited. The victims hailed from ten states, with West Bengal accounting for the highest number of fatalities at 11, followed by Jharkhand (4), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Uttarakhand (2), and one each from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Punjab and Assam.
According to the Namchi district administration, all recovered bodies have been shifted to Singtam District Hospital, STNM Hospital at Sochakgang, Namchi District Hospital and the Central Referral Hospital (CRH), Manipal, for medico-legal formalities. The identified bodies have been handed over to their respective families.
Meanwhile, the Sikkim government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the cause and circumstances of the tragedy and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents in future.
The massive rescue operation was carried out under the supervision of the Namchi district administration with the support of NHPC officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Mines Rescue Team of Eastern Coalfields Limited, Asansol, Sikkim Police, Fire and Emergency Services, the Health and Family Welfare Department and other line departments. The operation was closely monitored by the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).
With the operation successfully completed, the Namchi district administration expressed gratitude to all participating agencies for their unwavering commitment, professionalism and seamless coordination throughout the difficult four-day mission, which ensured that every missing worker was traced and recovered.
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