The victims of the Samardung tunnel tragedy in South Sikkim are believed to have died primarily due to asphyxiation caused by suspected methane gas inhalation, with forensic examinations also revealing burn injuries on the bodies, officials said on Wednesday.
According to STNM Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Suresh Madan Rasaily, four bodies were brought to the hospital for post-mortem examination and identification. So far, one body has been identified, and the post-mortem has been completed. The preliminary cause of death is asphyxiation, along with burn injuries found on the body.
The deceased has been identified as Shyam Oraon (31) of Indong Tea Estate in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. The identities of the remaining victims are yet to be established. Dr Rasaily said the identity of the deceased was confirmed with the help of family members and colleagues using physical identifiers such as tattoos, rings, chains, bangles and other distinguishing marks.
Explaining the possible cause of death, Dr Rasaily said methane gas can cause rapid asphyxiation, leaving victims with very little time to escape. Methane gas does not give much time to survive. A person can develop asphyxiation within two to three minutes, he said, adding that while burn injuries were observed on the bodies, it would require a detailed forensic analysis to determine whether they were caused by fire, the explosion or falling debris inside the tunnel.
Search and recovery operations at the NHPC Teesta Stage-VI Hydropower Project resumed on Tuesday after being temporarily suspended due to the accumulation of large volumes of mud and water inside the tunnel, which had hampered rescue efforts. With conditions improving, teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Asansol Rescue Team and other emergency response agencies re-entered the tunnel and resumed operations.
One more body was recovered after operations resumed, taking the total number of bodies recovered to 13. The recovered bodies have been shifted to STNM Hospital, Namchi District Hospital and Singtam District Hospital for post-mortem examination and identification.
