Death toll from blast at Indian hydroelectric project rises to 20 people

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and AFP, reported on July 22, 2026, that at least 20 people have died after a gas explosion led to the collapse of a tunnel at a hydroelectric project under construction in Sikkim, a remote state in northeastern India. The incident occurred at a 500-megawatt project overseen by the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation, or NHPC.

Rajiv Roka, director of the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority, said 25 workers had been trapped. He said 13 bodies had been recovered, while rescuers had identified seven or eight more bodies inside the tunnel that had not yet been brought out. Roka indicated that conditions inside the tunnel made survival unlikely for anyone still unaccounted for.

Recovery operations have been slowed by water inside the collapsed tunnel and the presence of hazardous gas. According to Al Jazeera, the region has also faced heavy monsoon rainfall in recent days, further complicating access and retrieval efforts. NHPC said the collapse followed an explosive release of suspected methane from rock formations, producing dense smoke and toxic gases, and said a detailed investigation would be carried out.

The disaster adds to concerns about construction risks in the Himalayan region, where major infrastructure projects often involve tunnelling through geologically unstable and seismically active terrain. Al Jazeera noted that experts have warned rapid development is increasing hazards in the fragile mountain environment. The report also recalled the 2023 Uttarakhand tunnel collapse, when 41 workers were rescued after 17 days underground.