Escalation: Officials revise trapped count to 13

A suspected methane gas blast collapsed an under-construction tunnel at the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI hydropower project in Samardung-Jholungey, South Sikkim, on July 22. The death toll later rose to 20 after more bodies were recovered, with 13 workers still trapped, according to officials cited by News.az.

Earlier counts varied: AP and several Indian outlets reported 12 dead and 13 missing, while the BBC put deaths at at least 14 and the New Indian Express later cited 13. The Statesman also said up to 15 workers might still be trapped.

Authorities believe methane, a flammable gas that can build up in tunnels, triggered the explosion and collapse. The blast struck Adit 3 of the project, which lies near India’s border with China.

The site is part of the state-run NHPC’s Teesta Stage-VI hydropower development in Namchi district. Many of the workers were migrants from West Bengal, Punjab, Assam, and Uttarakhand, a senior official told the Hindustan Times.

Rescue operations continued through July 22 to reach those trapped. Some reports also mentioned a landslide blocking the tunnel entrance (The Wire), but most accounts attribute the disaster to a methane blast.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources