Nepal rescuers turn attention to workers trapped in hydropower tunnels after deadly flood

Rescue teams in Nepal are intensifying their efforts to reach hundreds of workers who may be trapped in blocked hydropower tunnels following a deadly flood last week. According to Nepali officials, the primary focus is on rescuing the 933 workers believed to be trapped across 11 hydropower projects, many of whom were working in tunnels in the severely impacted Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts.

Pictures and videos shared by the rescue teams depict earth-moving equipment breaking through mud and rocks in the dark to locate those trapped. Nevertheless, the rescue teams face significant challenges due to the accumulation of debris, which complicates the process of opening the tunnels. Nepalese army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet informed Reuters that opening the tunnels is their main priority.

The catastrophic flood, triggered by a glacier collapse, struck the Nepal-Tibet border region on Wednesday, resulting in at least 903 deaths, according to the latest figures from Nepali authorities. Approximately 5,000 people remain missing, including the 933 workers at the hydropower projects, with at least 590 of them being foreign nationals from 39 different countries.

Nepali Foreign Ministry has reported that the missing include at least 590 foreign nationals from 39 countries. Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the flood as an "unprecedented and devastating natural disaster" and emphasized that assessing the full extent of the damage remains a challenge. Meanwhile, on the Chinese side of the border, authorities reported 16 fatalities in Gyirong County, with 546 people still unaccounted for.

Nepal has witnessed a surge in hydropower development as the country seeks to address its domestic power shortages and export electricity to India, its southern neighbor. The hydropower projects in Nepal's mountains rely on tunnels to transport water through the rugged terrain, the same tunnels now at the heart of the rescue operation.

Nepal has not sought foreign assistance for general search and rescue operations but has enlisted the expertise of India and China in tunnel rescue efforts. However, rescue operations have been temporarily halted due to adverse weather conditions and concerns that the disaster could cause further flooding by overflowing into Nepal's rivers.