▲ The site of the collapsed tunnel at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in India
A tunnel collapsed due to a methane gas explosion at a hydroelectric power plant construction site in the Himalayan mountain range in India's northeastern state of Sikkim, leaving at least 12 people dead and 13 missing.
According to NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation), the explosion occurred around noon local time on the 21st in a tunnel at the company's hydroelectric power plant construction site along the Teesta River in Sikkim, causing a partial collapse of the tunnel.
As a result, 19 workers who were laboring inside the tunnel were buried, while six power plant employees who entered the tunnel to assist in rescue operations also became trapped.
Rescue teams have recovered the bodies of 12 of them and are conducting search operations to rescue the remaining 13.
The company stated that the explosion occurred when gas, presumed to be methane trapped in the rock, suddenly erupted.
A rescue official said, "Toxic gases such as methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide have been detected inside the tunnel," adding that rescue operations are facing difficulties because the toxic gases emitting from the rock make the situation so hazardous that rescuers can only enter the site in shifts of about 15 minutes each while carrying oxygen tanks.
Local authorities expressed concern that the likelihood of finding any survivors among the trapped individuals is very low due to the toxic gases.
In India, construction site accidents are frequent amid rapid infrastructure development due to problems such as vulnerable geological structures, shoddy construction, extreme weather, and low safety standards.
In particular, the Himalayan region has an unstable underground environment due to steep mountainous terrain and active seismic activity, posing high risks for tunnel construction projects, according to the Associated Press.
Last February, an explosion at a coal mine in India's northeastern state of Meghalaya killed 30 miners, while in 2023, a tunnel in the northern state of Uttarakhand collapsed, trapping 41 miners for 17 days before they were rescued.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.