At least 10 dead, 15 trapped after suspected gas leak collapses tunnel in India

Ten Indian workers died and fifteen others are feared trapped after a suspected gas leak triggered an explosion in a tunnel at a hydroelectric project in Sikkim. Authorities reported the incident occurred Tuesday at a project owned by the state-run National Hydroelectric Power Corp Ltd (NHPC) on the Teesta river.

A sudden release of gas, believed to be methane trapped within the tunnel's rocks, caused the blast, sending dense fumes and toxic gases into the structure, NHPC stated. The incident took place in the village of Samardung in the northeastern state.

Rescue efforts are severely hampered by the presence of toxic fumes, making the task extremely difficult and diminishing survival chances for those trapped. Officials indicated that at least 25 project workers and officials were initially in the tunnel, a number that includes the 10 bodies recovered so far.

Photographs released by the state government show rescuers in orange hazard suits preparing emergency equipment, including oxygen cylinders and ropes. The challenging conditions underscore the urgency and danger faced by rescue teams attempting to reach the trapped workers.

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Survival chances for the trapped workers were slim, state disaster management official Rajiv Roka said, as rescuers had to battle the fumes, making their task difficult.