Over 27 workers trapped in Sikkim tunnel

21-Jul-2026

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Over 27 workers remain trapped inside an under-construction tunnel in Sikkim's Namchi district after a landslide blocked its entrance following a suspected methane gas explosion, officials said on July 20.

Rescue operations involving multiple agencies continued late into the evening but were being hampered by hazardous gas, poor visibility and low oxygen levels inside the tunnel.

An attempt to release the trapped gas is believed to have triggered an explosion, causing a landslide that blocked a section of the tunnel and trapped the workers.

Some workers managed to escape immediately after the incident, while several others remain stranded deep inside.