On the scene, local reporters interviewed NDRF Deputy Commandant Vivek Kumar, who said that the incident occurred 1.5 kilometers, or almost 1 mile, into the tunnel.
“Carbon monoxide has been detected inside, and visibility is extremely poor. Our team has been carrying out search-and-rescue operations since 5 p.m. yesterday,” Kumar said Tuesday.
But officials at the site explained that the gas exposure is dangerous, and rescue teams can only enter the disaster site for shifts of about 15 minutes at a time—dramatically slowing progress.
The delays followed inclement weather in the region on Monday night, which also set back the immediate rescue efforts, according to police superintendent Sonam Doma Bhutia.
Sikkim’s Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who was present at the site in the explosion’s aftermath, emphasized that the accident was triggered by a build-up of methane gas, although he said there would be a formal investigation.
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