The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- A methane explosion occurred on Monday afternoon in the under-construction Teesta Stage-VI Hydel Project tunnel at Samardung in South Sikkim, where about 25 workers were present in Adit-3 of the 15-km tunnel.
- The death toll has risen to 15, including migrant workers from West Bengal, Jharkhand, Punjab, Assam and Uttarakhand, plus one worker from Sikkim, while 10 people remain missing.
- Rescue teams from the NDRF and Coal India Limited are being slowed by high levels of methane and carbon monoxide, darkness, heat, and mud and water that cannot be pumped out because the blast damaged equipment and pipelines.
- Rescuers are entering the tunnel wearing self-contained breathing apparatuses weighing around 15 kg each.
What to watch next
- Whether the death toll rises, with rescuers claiming to have spotted at least eight more bodies inside the tunnel and 10 workers still missing.
- Progress in repairing damaged pipes and pumping out water and mud so rescue operations can move faster.
- The levels of methane and carbon monoxide inside the tunnel, which are reported to be far above the 20% lower explosive limit at which sites are usually evacuated.
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Named India · Samardung · South Sikkim · Coal India Limited · NDRF · Sonam D Bhutia · Teesta Stage-VI Hydel Project
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