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Nepal death toll 955…Rescue teams search for survivors in hydroelectric dam tunnel where 900 are trapped

Translated from Korean Read in Korean

On the seventh day since Nepal experienced heavy flooding, local rescue authorities are intensifying efforts to search for more than 900 people trapped in hydroelectric dam tunnels. Around 4500 people remain missing, including near 4500 in Nepal and China's Tibet. BBC reported that Nepal's disaster management authorities confirmed 939 flood-related deaths as of the 31st.

Out of 3935 people who contacted emergency services, 592 were foreigners. According to Chinese media, 16 deaths and 546 missing individuals have been confirmed in Tibet. Together, approximately 955 people have been reported missing, and around 4400 are considered dead or missing. Nepal and India's Uttar Pradesh have also confirmed the rescue of 17 flood victims downstream of the Trisuli river.

These individuals have not been included in Nepal and China's casualty counts. Nepal's military, along with helicopters, is deployed to search for survivors. As of the 31st, Nepal's military rescued 109 individuals and provided first aid to 165 people in Trisuli. On March 28th, a 5-year-old boy, Manisha Ucha Yadav, was rescued near the Nepal-China border in Rasu and the surrounding area.

She reportedly survived 60 hours buried in mud and collapsed buildings. The search efforts are focused on the tunnels of hydroelectric power plants, with Nepal's government estimating that 900 workers in six plants were isolated. Of the total 5 missing, one was in a hydroelectric tunnel. Among the 9 South Korean nationals present during the disaster, 9 worked at the upper Trisuli-1 power plant.

As of the 31st, Chinese rescue teams had entered 300 meters into the Trisuli-1 tunnel to search for survivors. The nationality and identity of the victims remain unconfirmed. The families of the missing hope for their loved ones to be rescued. In the case of a father who works at a hydroelectric plant, Sita Pandey from a Nepali daily, Kanti Purna, expressed her belief that with the oxygen supply system in the tunnel, there is a 50% chance of survival.

Preetha Kalal, waiting for her husband, an engineer at the upper Trisuli-1 power plant, told BBC that people have reported seeing survivors inside the tunnel. If rescue teams reach them in time, there is hope they can be saved.

Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

Read the original at hani.co.kr →

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