Guwahati: At least seven people were killed, and several others are feared trapped after a landslide struck an under-construction tunnel in Sikkim’s Namchi district on Monday, blocking the entrance and reportedly causing a gas leak, officials said.
The incident occurred at the Samardung tunnel construction site near Mamring in the Rangpo area, where workers were carrying out operations inside the tunnel when the landslide damaged a section of the project.
Emergency teams launched a rescue operation immediately after the incident. According to the latest information, all 16 trapped workers were brought out safely and shifted to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Rangpo for medical examination and treatment. However, one worker succumbed following the incident.
Earlier, Namchi District Collector Anupa Tamling had said there were concerns that around 27 workers could be trapped inside the tunnel, though the exact number could not be confirmed due to limited access and incomplete information from within the site.
She said teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had joined the rescue operation and were working alongside other agencies to assess the situation inside the tunnel.
Officials added that a clearer picture of the incident would emerge after the NDRF completed its assessment and verified the number of workers who had been inside the tunnel when the landslide occurred.
The cause of the gas leak and the circumstances leading to the landslide are under investigation. Authorities continue to monitor the site as rescue and safety operations progress.