Rescue operations are underway to save at least 27 workers trapped inside an under-construction tunnel after a landslide blocked its entrance and triggered a gas leak in Sikkim's Namchi district on Monday afternoon.
Officials said the presence of gas inside the tunnel, coupled with low visibility, has complicated the rescue efforts, with several personnel experiencing dizziness and losing consciousness. The gas is believed to be naturally emanating from underground strata or rock formations disturbed by the landslide.
District Collector Anupa Tamling said the administration received the distress call around 3.40 pm, and rescue teams were rushed to the scene.
"There is a possibility that around 27 workers are trapped inside the tunnel. However, since complete information about the conditions inside the tunnel has not yet come in, the actual number has not been confirmed," she said.
Tamling said the rescue operation was being carried out by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the SDRF, the district police and the Fire and Emergency Services. A specialised rescue team from neighbouring West Bengal has also joined the operation with gas-protective equipment for rescuers.
The tunnel was being constructed by Patel Engineering as part of NHPC's ADIT for the Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Power Project.
"According to company representatives, the workers who were inside the tunnel heard a sound like an explosion. After that, some workers managed to run out of the tunnel, while others remain trapped inside," Tamling said.
According to reports, ambulances have been kept on standby, while rescuers equipped with gas masks and other protective gear are continuing efforts to reach the trapped workers.
