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In Namchi, Sikkim, the ongoing NHPC hydropower project has seen the recovery of 22 bodies from a collapsed tunnel, as reported by officials on Thursday. The tunnel, part of the Teesta Stage-VI project, collapsed shortly after a suspected methane gas explosion occurred on Monday afternoon, trapping 25 workers inside.

A state government official indicated that rescue efforts are still in progress, with specialized teams coordinating to locate and extract the remaining three workers. He stated, "The Sikkim government, district administration, and all relevant agencies are closely monitoring the situation and providing all possible assistance to the rescue teams and affected families."

Earlier, the Superintendent of Police for Namchi, Sonam D. Bhutia, confirmed on Tuesday that 20 out of the 25 trapped individuals had been declared dead. By Wednesday, eight bodies had been identified, including four workers from Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal, along with one each from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Sikkim. Additionally, at least four workers from Jharkhand's Khunti, Hazaribagh, and West Singhbhum districts were also involved in the project.

In response to the tragedy, NHPC announced on Wednesday that each deceased worker's nearest relative would receive a compensation of five lakh rupees. Sikkim's Chief Minister, Prem Singh Tamang, had previously declared a compensation of four lakh rupees for each deceased worker's family and fifty thousand rupees for each injured individual. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced a compensation of two lakh rupees for the families of the deceased and fifty thousand rupees for the injured.

According to a statement from NHPC, the explosion was triggered by the sudden release of suspected methane gas trapped within the rocks, leading to the spread of dense smoke and toxic gases throughout the tunnel.