Nepal floods: Family of missing Himachal engineer urges Centre to intervene in rescue work

The family of Sukhvinder Singh Rattan, a 30-year-old Himachal engineer who went missing on August 26 during flash floods at the Upper Trishuli Hydropower Project in Nepal, has called upon the Indian Centre to step in and hasten the rescue efforts. Rattan's cousin, Shubham Rattan, and elder brother, who are currently in Kathmandu, expressed growing concern as the rescue operation, currently led by the Nepal government's Army, has yet to reach the tunnel where Rattan and other Indian workers are believed to be trapped.

Shubham Rattan told The Indian Express that according to rescued Nepali workers, Rattan was trapped in Tunnel-1. The Nepali rescue teams have not yet reached Tunnel-1, he said, noting that there are four to five additional tunnels between Tunnel-1 and the current location of the rescue teams. With only five days having passed since the tragedy, Shubham Rattan emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that time is running out.

Rattan had been working at the Upper Trishuli Hydropower Project for the past three years. His wife, Saravjit Kaur, said he returned to Nepal on August 14 after visiting India earlier that month. Saravjit Kaur appealed to the Indian government to assist in the rescue operation, emphasizing that the government has the right to rescue its own citizens in an emergency anywhere in the world.

The couple, who also have a one-and-a-half-year-old son, received assurance from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu that they would receive all possible assistance from the Indian government.