Rescue efforts for 13 workers trapped in a collapsed hydropower tunnel in India’s Sikkim state have been halted after toxic gas prevented rescuers from entering the site.
The suspension comes two days after a gas explosion at the facility killed 12 workers, raising the total death toll to 12 with 13 still unaccounted for.
The blast, triggered by a buildup of gas, caused a partial collapse of the tunnel.
Authorities have described the survival chances for the trapped workers as diminishing, with the immediate priority shifting to ensuring the safety of rescue teams amid the hazardous atmosphere.
The incident has drawn attention to safety protocols in India’s expanding hydropower infrastructure projects.
This development follows a separate industrial accident in India earlier this week, where an ammonia gas leak at a seafood processing plant in Tamil Nadu killed seven people and hospitalized dozens.