Rescuers are in a race against time to reach workers suspected to be trapped in tunnels at hydropower sites engulfed in mud following devastating floods in Nepal and China. The death toll has climbed past 900 in the two countries, with over 4,700 individuals missing. A private-sector group representing power companies stated that approximately 900 workers are unaccounted for across 12 hydropower projects impacted by the floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.
Mohan Kumar Dangi, the president of the Independent Power Producers’ Association, Nepal (IPPAN), estimated that around 500 of the missing workers could be stuck in the tunnels. While authorities have provided varying figures, multiple foreign teams are aiding Nepali rescuers in the search efforts.
According to experts, the tunnels offer enough space for individuals to seek refuge, with some workers potentially having access to oxygen. However, the prospects of finding survivors are dwindling. Reports suggest that some workers managed to communicate for help during the initial disaster, but concerns are rising that some may have suffocated.
Nepal’s army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet, mentioned ongoing search and rescue operations in hilly, settlement, and river areas. Nepal’s disaster agency reported 903 deaths and 4,247 missing persons, including 592 foreigners. In China, authorities disclosed 16 fatalities and 546 missing individuals, with 261 of them foreigners, including over a hundred Nepalis.
Workers at a flood-ravaged power station in Dhading, Nepal, emphasized the station’s significance in providing power to over 20,000 locals. The rescue focus is on individuals trapped in the vast tunnels designed for water flow control in hydropower production.
Efforts to locate survivors in the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district have been challenging, with hundreds believed to be trapped inside the project’s tunnel. In China, reconstruction efforts are underway, including restoring the road to Gyirong Port at the China-Nepal border.
Maraval Nagappan, whose son is among the missing, traveled to Nepal to search for him. His son was leading a group of Indian devotees returning from Mount Kailash when they went missing due to floodwaters at a Chinese immigration complex. The heartbreaking situation reflects the massive impact of the flash floods triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region.
Surveillance footage captured the chaos as water surged through the border complex, with Nagappan’s son and group members among those caught in the flood. The catastrophic event, initiated by a glacial collapse and subsequent water surges, has devastated regions in Tibet and Nepal, leading to widespread destruction and loss of lives.
The unfolding tragedy underscores the urgent need for coordinated rescue efforts and international support to mitigate the aftermath of this natural disaster.
