A blast in a tunnel at an Indian hydropower project leaves 12 dead and 13 missing

Key Points:

• A suspected gas explosion caused the collapse of a tunnel under construction at the 500-megawatt Teesta hydroelectric project in Sikkim, India, resulting in at least 12 deaths and 13 people missing.
• The blast occurred while 21 laborers were inside the tunnel; only two escaped, and six power utility officials who entered to assist became trapped.
• Rescue efforts are ongoing amid hazardous conditions due to toxic gases such as methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide detected inside the tunnel, limiting rescue shifts to about 15 minutes.
• The explosion is believed to have been triggered by a buildup of methane gas in the seismically active and geologically fragile Teesta River basin, which is prone to underground gas pockets and unstable rock formations.
• Construction accidents are frequent in India’s Himalayan region due to challenging geology, seismic activity, and safety lapses, with similar deadly incidents reported recently in nearby states.