Rescue teams in Nepal’s mountainous regions are in a race against time to reach numerous workers believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels following a devastating flood caused by a glacier collapse near the Chinese border. The catastrophe has claimed the lives of at least 1,204 individuals, with over 4,200 still unaccounted for.
Efforts have now shifted towards the hydroelectric project tunnels, where authorities suspect workers may have taken refuge. Some of these tunnels are equipped with air supplies, raising hopes of finding around 900 missing workers alive.
According to Amshu Kiran Shahi, a board member of the Nepal Electricity Authority, the presence of food and water within the tunnels indicates the potential for survivors. While the likelihood of finding additional survivors elsewhere diminishes, rescue operations persist along the China border where towns and valleys have been ravaged by the floods.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah has affirmed the government’s commitment to continuing search and rescue missions. Major operations are concentrated on tunnels at four projects, with a particular focus on Trishuli-3A, where the presence of air and oxygen flow offer promising prospects for locating survivors.
Specialized rescue teams from India, China, and the United States are actively engaged in the tunnel rescue efforts. Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities are intensifying search and rescue operations, with a focus on structures in the affected area as they conduct thorough searches for survivors.
China’s official tally of missing individuals includes Nepali citizens, Indians, and Latvians, with plans to dispatch additional support to Nepal to aid in relief efforts. Meanwhile, efforts are underway to restore power supply, telecommunication services, and transport links in the affected regions, with 95% of telecom services already reinstated by Tuesday.
The disaster, which has disrupted 431 megawatts of electricity generation capacity, remains a significant challenge, with the government emphasizing the need for continued support and assistance in the ongoing recovery and relief operations.