State-run hydropower major NHPC on Tuesday confirmed that 10 people have died after a suspected methane gas burst triggered an explosion inside an under-construction tunnel at its Teesta Stage VI Hydroelectric Project in Sikkim, saying 25 personnel were trapped in the incident and rescue operations remain underway.
The incident occurred at 1.04 pm on Monday inside the Head Race Tunnel (HRT) at the Teesta Stage VI project in Samardung, South Sikkim, after a sudden burst of suspected methane gas trapped inside rock formations led to an explosion, generating dense fumes and toxic gases, the company said in its first official statement on the incident.
