Gangtok: At least 27 workers were trapped after a section of an under-construction tunnel at a hydropower project collapsed in Namchi district of Sikkim on Monday, blocking the main entrance to the tunnel.
District Collector Anupa Tamling said officials were working to verify the exact number of workers trapped inside the Samardung tunnel as rescue operations continued.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), district police and the fire department were rushed to the site soon after the incident.
Rescue efforts have been complicated by fears of a methane gas leak inside the tunnel, which is believed to have reduced oxygen levels. Several rescue personnel reportedly experienced dizziness while attempting to enter the tunnel, and some were taken ill during the operation.
Emergency teams are using protective equipment, including gas masks, as they attempt to reach the trapped workers. Multiple rescue teams have been deployed, and authorities said every effort is being made to evacuate those stranded safely.
