Archive · 23 Jul 2026
Death toll in NHPC tunnel disaster rises to 15
A tunnel that was being built by NHPC in South Sikkim collapsed on Monday afternoon.
This accident trapped many workers inside.
So far, 15 workers have died, and 16 were rescued.
The rescue teams had to stop their work for a while because of heavy rain and dangerous conditions inside the tunnel.
They started again on Wednesday and found more bodies.
The families of the workers who died will get Rs 5 lakh each as compensation.
The exact reason for the collapse is still being investigated.
A section of the under-construction NHPC tunnel collapsed in South Sikkim, trapping workers.
The death toll has risen to 15, with 16 workers rescued and 2 still missing.
Rescue operations were temporarily suspended due to heavy rainfall and hazardous conditions.
NHPC and the West Bengal government have announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased workers.
The exact cause of the collapse is under investigation, with reports of a loud explosion-like sound and toxic gases.
- Who
- Workers at the under-construction NHPC tunnel in South Sikkim
- What
- A section of the tunnel collapsed, trapping and killing workers
- When
- Monday afternoon
- Where
- Samardung, South Sikkim’s Namchi district
- Why
- The exact cause is under investigation, but a loud explosion-like sound was reported before the tunnel became inundated with toxic gases.
NHPC and Government Response
Critics and Families of Victims
Compensation
NHPC and Government Response
NHPC and the West Bengal government have announced ex-gratia payments of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased workers.
Critics and Families of Victims
Families and critics argue that the compensation is insufficient given the loss of life and the circumstances of the disaster.
- Location
- Samardung, South Sikkim’s Namchi district
- Date of Incident
- Monday afternoon
- Total Workers Trapped
- 25
- Workers Rescued
- 16
- Workers Deceased
- 15
- Workers Missing
- 2
- Cause of Death
- Asphyxia and burn injuries
- Compensation Announced
- Rs 5 lakh per deceased worker
