A terrible explosion in the underworld! Methane gas suddenly bursts in NHPC tunnel of Sikkim, 20 laborers died. After all, what happened inside the dark tunnel? Investigation and rescue operation is going on.
Gangtok/Namchi: A heart-wrenching news has come out from Namchi district of Sikkim, which has shocked the entire country. At around 1 pm on Monday afternoon, when work was going on as usual in an under-construction tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project in Samardung, suddenly a terrible industrial accident occurred. After a massive explosion of suspected methane gas, a large part of the tunnel collapsed. According to police officials, at least 20 laborers have died in this horrific tragedy, while 5 other laborers are struggling between life and death inside the tunnel for more than 24 hours.
Time was hidden in the chest of rocks: How did this invisible explosion happen?
The reason behind this horrific accident is very shocking and scary. According to the official statement issued by NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation), during the excavation of the tunnel, suspicious methane gas trapped inside the rocks for years suddenly came out with huge pressure. Before anyone could understand anything, there was a massive explosion in the flammable gas spread in the air. The explosion was so severe that the entire structure of the tunnel shook and heavy debris fell down. The mouths of the tunnel were closed and about 25 laborers and some project officers working inside were buried there. Due to this explosion, dense, black smoke and extremely poisonous gases spread all around inside the tunnel, due to which the people trapped inside did not even get a chance to recover or breathe.
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Pile of dead bodies and search for loved ones: 12 bodies recovered from the debris
Namchi Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonam D Bhutia confirmed the tragic accident and said, “Out of the total 25 people trapped inside the tunnel, 20 have been confirmed dead.” Rescue operations are being carried out on war footing since the incident. After hard work of many rescue agencies, till now 12 bodies have been pulled out from the debris. The biggest challenge before the administration at this time is to identify the dead bodies. The bodies have been mutilated due to the effects of severe debris and gas. So far only 7 bodies have been identified, while efforts to identify the remaining bodies are ongoing. Governor Om Prakash Mathur and Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang have directed the Namchi district administration to make special and prompt arrangements for identification of the dead in Rangpo, so that the affected families do not have to go astray.
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Breath stopped in hell: Last battle of ‘Oxygen’ to save 5 lives
Amidst this bloody tragedy there is still a very thin thread of hope left. Five workers are still trapped in the innermost part of the tunnel, who have been surrounded there for more than 24 hours. They have very little time and there is a cloud of poisonous gases inside the tunnel. Considering the seriousness of the situation, Chief Secretary Ravindra Telang held a high-level review meeting in the presence of Director General of Police Akshay Sachdeva. Officials of the district administration, NHPC and the company doing civil construction work ‘Patel Engineering Limited’ participated in this meeting. The Chief Secretary has instructed the rescue teams to use the oxygen supply available inside the tunnel in a very wise and scientific manner so that air can be supplied to the 5 trapped people and they can be taken out safely.
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‘Bengal Squad’ landed to help: Panic created from Delhi to Gangtok
The rescue operation inside this tunnel of Sikkim is proving to be very complex and fatal. In such a situation, a very modern and experienced ‘Special Mining Rescue Team’ has been called to Samardung from the neighboring state of West Bengal. This team is expert in rescue operations in coal mines and narrow tunnels and has now started removing the debris in collaboration with the agencies of Sikkim. The echo of this disaster has reached the country’s capital Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on phone and got complete information about the situation. The Central Government has assured to send all possible help including Army and NDRF. In honor of this tragedy, Sikkim Assembly also paid tribute to the deceased employees by observing two minutes silence during its proceedings.
Compensation balm: Announcement of relief worth crores for the affected families
In this difficult time, governments have opened up their coffers to help the affected families, especially the migrant laborers from other states. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured person on behalf of the state government. Along with this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also announced to give Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). The Chief Minister has given strict instructions to NHPC Chairman and Managing Director Bhupendra Gupta that even at the company level, the compensation to the victims should be released as soon as possible without any administrative delay. A special high-level investigation committee has also been formed to thoroughly investigate the causes of the accident.
Methane gas became the cause of death?
According to preliminary information from NHPC, suspected methane gas trapped within the rocks suddenly came out, causing the explosion. After the explosion, the tunnel was filled with dense smoke and poisonous gas, making rescue operations extremely difficult. However, the actual cause of the accident will be confirmed only after the investigation is completed. The state government has announced the formation of a special committee to conduct a detailed investigation into the causes of the incident.
Special arrangements on silence, identification and assistance in the Assembly
Two minutes silence was observed in the Sikkim Assembly in memory of the employees who lost their lives in the accident. The state government has given instructions to make special arrangements for identification of the dead in Rangpo and to provide all possible assistance to the families of the victims who have come from other states. Governor Om Prakash Mathur and the Chief Minister visited the incident site and reviewed the relief work with the officials and directed NHPC to immediately provide compensation to the affected families.
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