Gangtok, July 23: Rescue teams on Thursday recovered the last three bodies from the under-construction tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project at Samardung in Jholungey, Sikkim's Namchi district, bringing the death toll to 25 and formally ending a four-day search and rescue operation.

Officials said a thorough inspection of the tunnel was conducted after the final recovery, confirming that all workers reported missing had been accounted for and that no one remained trapped inside.

The deceased included workers and officials associated with NHPC Limited, ARX, and Patel Engineering Limited. The victims were from ten states, with West Bengal recording the highest number of fatalities at 11, followed by Jharkhand (4), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Uttarakhand (2), and one each from Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sikkim, Punjab and Assam.

According to the Namchi district administration, the recovered bodies have been shifted to Singtam District Hospital, STNM Hospital at Sochakgang, Namchi District Hospital and the Central Referral Hospital (CRH), Manipal, for medico-legal procedures. The identified bodies have since been handed over to their respective families.

The Sikkim government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the cause of the incident, examine the circumstances leading to the tragedy, and recommend measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

The rescue operation was conducted under the supervision of the Namchi district administration with support from NHPC officials, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Mines Rescue Team of Eastern Coalfields Limited, Asansol, Sikkim Police, Fire and Emergency Services, the Health and Family Welfare Department, and other line departments. The operation was closely monitored by the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA).

Following the successful completion of the mission, the Namchi district administration thanked all participating agencies for their coordinated efforts, professionalism, and dedication, which ensured that every missing worker was located and recovered after four days of intensive operations under difficult conditions.