Nepal floods: Families cling to hope for more than 600 workers trapped in tunnels

More than 600 workers are believed to be trapped in a network of tunnels along the Trishuli River in Nepal, with families eagerly hoping for their safe return. Rescue efforts have been ongoing, utilizing explosives to breach the hillside and pumping air into the Trishuli-3A site, as time is running short. Anushila Bhandari, wife of a missing engineer, expressed her desire for her husband's return.

The death toll has reached 939, with 3,925 missing, including 592 foreign nationals. Prime Minister Balendra Shah reported that 279 people have been rescued, while a team of international experts, including Chinese, Nepalese, Indian, Korean, and Australian personnel, is leading the rescue operation. Sita Pandey, whose husband was working in a plant, still holds on to a 50% hope that he is still alive, citing the presence of an oxygen system.

The floods have damaged at least 11 hydropower projects, and rescuers have struggled to locate the tunnels due to the challenging terrain, likening it to a "lunar landscape." Despite the slow progress, families remain hopeful, emphasizing the urgency of the situation as climate change increases risks in the Himalayan region.