More than 15 Indian workers trapped after hydroelectric tunnel blast kills nine

World gasindiaTop News More than 15 Indian workers trapped after hydroelectric tunnel blast kills nine Screenshot 2026 07 21 114015 Relevant News More than 15 Indian workers trapped after hydroelectric tunnel blast kills nine 21 July 2026 Petrol station owners protest outside Presidential Palace over tanker decree 21 July 2026 On this day: Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969 21 July 2026 newsroom 21 July 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber More than 15 workers were feared trapped on Tuesday after a blast caused by a suspected gas leak in a tunnel being built for a hydroelectric project in India’s rugged northeastern state of Sikkim that killed nine, officials said. Monday’s incident took place at state-owned power firm NHPC’s NHPC.NS project on the Teesta river in the village of Samardung, district official Subash Ghimirey told Reuters.“The incident was caused by a possible natural gas blast but we cannot say for sure yet,” said state disaster management official Rajiv Roka. “Nine bodies have been recovered – the bodies are charred, so it suggests there was a blast.”Survival chances for the rest were slim, he warned, as rescuers hunting for those trapped had difficulty breathing in the tunnel, making the task difficult.At least 25 project workers and officials were trapped in the tunnel, the state government said on its Facebook page, citing information from NHPC. This figure includes the nine retrieved bodies.An NHPC spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.Rescuers wearing orange hazard suits unloaded oxygen cylinders, ropes and other emergency equipment from a vehicle in photographs on the state government’s Facebook page. (Reuters) (Featured image is a screengrab from X) Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Petrol station owners protest outside Presidential Palace over tanker decree On this day: Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969 VivaBank to take over Cyprus’s public e-payments system as JCC loses tender battle Custody clock runs out for British father in Paphos hotel death case Guterres visit may settle fate of five-party Cyprus talks Police investigating video showing minor with disability urged to expose himself Former DIKO MP Nikos Kleanthous dies at 78 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.