KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said he spoke to his Sikkim counterpart Prem Singh Tamang in the wake of the tunnel collapse in which at least 10 people were killed, and assured him of all possible assistance.
He said that the West Bengal government is closely monitoring the situation as some of the affected workers are likely to be from Jalpaiguri district.
“I am deeply pained and disturbed by the tragic tunnel collapse at the under-construction site of the NHPC Teesta Phase VI hydropower project at Samardong, Julungi, in Namchi district of Sikkim,” Adhikari said in a social media post.
“I spoke to Sikkim Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang Ji over phone to take stock of the situation. We are closely monitoring the developments, as there is a strong possibility that some of the affected workers belong to our Jalpaiguri district,” he added.
West Bengal Minister Bishal Lama and the Darjeeling district magistrate went to the accident site to ensure assistance, Adhikari said.
“To ensure immediate assistance and coordination on ground, His Excellency Minister Shri Bishal Lama and Darjeeling District Magistrate are personally rushing to the accident site. Moreover, our Home Minister is in constant touch with the Sikkim administration and is receiving constant update on the rescue operations,” the Prime Minister said.
Adhikari further said that he assured Tamang of West Bengal’s full cooperation in dealing with the situation.
“I have assured the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Sikkim of all possible cooperation and support from the West Bengal government during this difficult hour,” he said.
“My thoughts are with the families of the victims. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and safe rescue of all those still trapped,” Adhikari added.
Ten people died after an under-construction tunnel collapsed due to a landslide in Sikkim’s Namchi district on Monday, police said.
An official in Namche district said that the number of casualties may rise as search and rescue operations continue.
Tamang said the tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Phase VI hydropower project at Samardung in Jholungey collapsed due to a landslide. He added that 25 people, including project officials and workers, were trapped inside the ADIT-3 tunnel when it suddenly collapsed on Monday.
Officials said that the rescue operation was complicated by the presence of gas inside the tunnel, as many individuals became dizzy and lost consciousness while trying to reach the trapped workers.
They added that the gas is believed to be emanating naturally from underground layers or rock formations affected by the landslide.
This article was generated from an automated news feed without any modifications to the text.
