‘No hollow or empty space“: A drone operator reveals challenges in Nepal’s tunnel rescue efforts

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Filmmaker and drone pilot Manish Maharjan has offered his expertise to Nepal's rescue efforts following catastrophic flooding that began two days ago. Maharjan, who crossed from China's Tibet into Nepal near Rasuwagadhi, has been instrumental in assisting authorities with the use of drones in the search and rescue operation.

The flood has claimed over 1,000 lives and left thousands missing across Nepal and China. Maharjan has been utilizing thermal drones to locate and identify at least 900 workers still unaccounted for after 12 hydropower projects were submerged in mud and debris. Of these, around 500 are believed to be trapped within the tunnels of the power plants.

Despite the drone's effectiveness in locating individuals stranded in open areas and isolated locations, including caves, Maharjan described the challenge posed by the tunnels. "When we entered the tunnels," Maharjan recounted, "they were filled with mud as if it had been compressed into a tube. There was no empty or hollow space inside."

The flooding was triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region on August 26. Satellite imagery revealed that the bedrock beneath a glacier had collapsed, causing extensive rockfall with a magnitude of 5.2.