Namchi, July 23 -- The death toll in the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel incident in Sikkim's Namchi district rose to 22 after nine more bodies were recovered during overnight rescue operations, officials said on Thursday.

Search and rescue operations continued through the night as rescue agencies intensified efforts to locate and recover the remaining trapped workers.

According to the latest update, the bodies of 22 deceased individuals have so far been recovered from the tunnel. At around 10 pm on Wednesday, a second rescue team from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Asansol, arrived at the incident site and immediately joined the ongoing operation. The teams worked tirelessly under extremely challenging conditions, con...