The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- An explosion of suspected methane gas trapped in rock killed 20 workers inside the under-construction Head Race Tunnel of NHPC's 500 MW Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project at Samardung in Sikkim's Namchi district on July 20, 2026, and five workers remain trapped about 1.5 km inside the tunnel.
- NHPC will conduct an investigation and the Sikkim government has set up a high-level committee to determine the cause.
- Methane is colourless and odourless and cannot be detected by the surveys typically carried out for tunnel projects in the Himalayan belt.
- The report notes that tunnelling in the fragile Himalayan region has repeatedly led to disasters, including earlier incidents at NHPC projects and the Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand.
What to watch next
- Findings of NHPC's investigation and the state high-level committee into the cause of the explosion
- Rescue efforts for the five workers still trapped about 1.5 km inside the tunnel
- Whether safety or survey protocols for Himalayan tunnel projects are revised following the incident
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1 report
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Named India · Namchi · Sikkim · Teesta Stage-VI Hydropower Project · Geological Survey of India · Mines and Geology Department · NHPC · Sikkim government
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