'He wanted to buy motorcycle, then get married,' recalls family of Jharkhand man killed in Sikkim

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday urged his Sikkim counterpart, Prem Singh Tamang, to ensure all possible assistance to workers from Jharkhand affected by the tunnel collapse in Sikkim's Namchi district.

The explosion, suspected to have been caused by methane gas, triggered the collapse of an under-construction tunnel at the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project in Samardung on Monday, trapping around 25 workers. Twenty-two workers have died, while three others remain trapped, officials said.

Officials said four people from Jharkhand's Khunti, Hazaribag and West Singhbhum districts were working on the project. Three have been confirmed dead, while one remains missing.

The families of the deceased have demanded adequate compensation and government jobs for the next of kin.

Krishna, a welder in his 20s from Dahu village in Jharkhand's Khunti district, was among those whose bodies were recovered during the search and rescue operation.

As workers at the tunnel prepared for lunch, 19-year-old Babloo Sahu handed meal packets to his elder brother Krishna and other workers before stepping outside. Moments later, a loud explosion shattered the routine.

"I told my brother to have his lunch and came outside. Suddenly, I heard an explosion. When I turned back, I saw the tunnel collapse before my eyes," Babloo told PTI over the phone from Sikkim.

The young worker had spent the past few years working outside Jharkhand to support his elderly parents and younger brother.

"My brother had built a house for our family. This time, he said he would buy a motorcycle with the money earned from this job. After that, he planned to get married," Babloo said.

Krishna had briefly returned home in June. When he left for Sikkim on July 2, he took his younger brother along. Babloo worked at the labour camp mess and delivered meals to workers at the construction site.

He said arrangements would be made to transport Krishna's body to Jharkhand after the post-mortem examination.

The body of Jageshwar Thakur, 46, an excavator operator from Talia Basti in Hazaribag district's Barhi block, was also recovered on Wednesday.

A father of two sons and a daughter, Thakur had spoken to his younger son just hours before the accident, assuring him that he would return home soon, family members said.

His nephew, Bishan Yadav, who was with him in Sikkim, told PTI that the post-mortem formalities were underway.

The body of Budaru Bikash Kandulna, 40, another resident of Dahu village in Khunti district, has also been recovered.

(Source: PTI)