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A grim rescue operation in Sikkim turned into a recovery mission on Thursday after the bodies of 22 workers were pulled out from the debris of an under-construction NHPC hydropower project tunnel in Namchi district, officials said.

The tragedy unfolded on Monday afternoon when a section of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project tunnel collapsed following an explosion suspected to have been triggered by methane gas trapped inside the rocks.

At the time of the incident, 25 workers were inside the tunnel, which was engulfed by dense fumes and toxic gases following the blast. Rescue teams equipped with specialised equipment have been working round the clock to clear debris, locate survivors and recover the trapped workers.

"Rescue operations remain in progress, with specialised teams working in close coordination to locate and recover the remaining labourers," a state government official said.

The official added that the Sikkim government, district administration and other agencies were closely monitoring the situation and providing all possible assistance to the rescue teams and the families of the affected workers.

Earlier, Namchi superintendent of police Sonam D. Bhutia had said that out of the 25 workers trapped inside the tunnel, 20 were confirmed dead.

By Wednesday, eight bodies had been identified. Among them were four workers from Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, along with one each from Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam and Sikkim. Officials also confirmed that at least four workers from Jharkhand's Khunti, Hazaribag and West Singhbhum districts were engaged at the project site.

According to an NHPC statement, the explosion was likely caused by a sudden release of methane gas trapped within the rock formation, creating a dangerous mix of thick fumes and poisonous gases inside the tunnel.

As grief mounted over the loss of lives, financial assistance was announced for the families of the victims. The NHPC declared an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased worker.

Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang also announced Rs 4 lakh assistance for each bereaved family and Rs 50,000 for every injured worker.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for the families of those who died, along with Rs 50,000 for the injured.

The accident has cast a shadow over the ambitious hydropower project, as rescue workers continue their painstaking efforts inside the damaged tunnel amid hazardous conditions and uncertainty over the fate of the remaining trapped labourers.

With PTI inputs