More than 900 workers are feared trapped in tunnels and underground areas of at least six hydropower projects in Nepal following the devastating flash flood. Rescue teams are conducting a desperate operation to save their lives. The country’s disaster management authority disclosed this information Monday, August 31. The report is from the Guardian.
Nepali officials say reaching the 933 missing people at hydropower projects in the worst flood-affected areas is now the main goal of the rescue operation.
Photos and videos released by rescue teams show efforts under way to clear mud with heavy excavation equipment to reach tunnel entrances. Nepal Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet said a massive amount of debris has accumulated. Clearing the tunnels to carry out the rescue operation is the biggest challenge they face.
Ashish Gurung, who normally works as a guide, has also joined the rescue effort. He told the Guardian that mud is everywhere. Conditions inside the tunnels are even worse. The mud is so deep that moving through it is extremely difficult.
On Sunday, his team tried to reach the Chilime Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, one of the worst-affected areas.
Gurung said mountaineers use wooden planks to gauge the depth of the mud. Those planks were then used to build makeshift bridges. Ropes were also arranged for their own safety.
He said: “Walking through the mud is extremely difficult. At one point, the mud reached up to our chests. We managed to get about 130 meters inside the first station. Looking further in, it seemed like there were only bodies lying there.”
The hydropower company gave the rescue team a map of the project. Based on that map, rescuers believe some people may have survived by taking shelter in a safe part of the tunnel infrastructure.
Gurung said: “There’s a safe area inside. A few people there may still be alive. I’m hoping they survived.”
The death toll from last Wednesday’s unprecedented surge of ice, rock, mud and debris across various valleys in Nepal has now risen to 903. A further 16 deaths have been reported on the Tibetan side of the border.
The Guardian’s report says more than 4,000 people are currently missing in Nepal. Meanwhile, roughly 500 are missing in Tibet.
Hundreds of bodies swept down by the mountain flash floods across the Himalayan region have been buried in lowland areas. Most of these bodies remain unidentified.
According to the Red Cross, more than 90,000 people may have been affected by the disaster.
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the flood as an “unprecedented and devastating natural disaster.” He said building a complete picture of the damage remains extremely difficult.
In a Facebook post Sunday night, he said the government is working resolutely to save citizens’ lives despite adverse weather, difficult terrain and ongoing risk. He said roughly 21,000 security personnel are deployed in the rescue operation, alongside civilian staff and volunteers.
Nepal has said it does not need foreign assistance for general search and rescue operations. However, it is accepting cooperation from neighboring India and China for their specialized expertise in rescuing people from tunnels.