Tunnel collapse in India kills 12 workers

What the report says

BBC World News reports that at least 12 workers have died after part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed in India’s north-eastern Sikkim state following a suspected gas explosion. Officials said 13 more workers remain missing inside the tunnel after the incident, which occurred on Monday. Rescue teams are still operating at the site, but hazardous conditions, including fumes and toxic gases, have slowed efforts to reach those trapped.

According to the BBC, the National Disaster Response Force said the collapse happened roughly 1.5km inside the tunnel. The tunnel is being built to carry water from the Teesta River to turbines at a hydropower plant and is part of a wider project in the Himalayan state developed by the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation. NHPC said a sudden release of suspected methane trapped in rock caused an explosion, while the Sikkim government described the cause as methane gas combustion.

Officials said 27 people were working in different parts of the tunnel when the blast happened. Two escaped, while 25 were trapped. Superintendent of Police Sonam D Bhutia told the BBC that 12 bodies had been recovered by Wednesday morning and teams were trying to find the remaining 13 men. Police said seven victims had been identified, including one from Sikkim and others from West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Assam; post-mortem examinations are expected to determine the cause of death.

The BBC reported that rescuers are focusing on a 200-metre section where the missing workers are believed to be. Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has formed a special investigation team and said further action will depend on expert findings.