Toll in Sikkim NHPC tunnel disaster rises to 15 as three more bodies recovered

Gangtok, July 22 -- The toll in the NHPC tunnel disaster at Samardung in South Sikkim's Namchi district rose to 15 on Wednesday evening after rescue teams recovered three more bodies from the collapsed tunnel.

Speaking to UNI, Namchi Superintendent of Police Sonam D. Bhutia confirmed that, as of 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday, three additional bodies had been recovered, taking the total number of fatalities to 15.

The tragedy unfolded on Monday afternoon when a section of the under-construction NHPC tunnel collapsed, trapping several workers inside. 16 injured workers were rescued on Monday late evening.

Rescue teams recovered the first seven bodies during the early hours of Tuesday. By the end of the day, the number of bodies recovered had rise...