'Workers are still alive in Nepal hydropower plant'

Nepal's Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant, hit by deadly flash floods, may still harbor dozens of trapped workers, an official revealed on Wednesday. Board member Amhsu Kiran Shahi told Reuters that 46 people are possibly alive in a room-like structure within the tunnel. Rescuers are confident of their survival due to the presence of food and water, despite being trapped for a week.

So far, 279 individuals have been rescued from hydropower projects submerged by the catastrophic deluge, triggered by a glacial collapse near Nepal's border with China. However, at least 639 people remain missing, some believed to be in tunnels linked to hydropower projects. Nepali, Indian, and Chinese rescue teams are digging to find survivors.

The Rasuwagadhi Hydroelectric Project, a 111-megawatt facility, is located in a mountain valley near the Nepal-China border. It is the only project where workers can walk through the tunnel. Rescuers attempted this three days ago but failed to locate the room. The army is repeating the attempt. Search efforts are also underway at other locations, where powerhouses have spaces and rooms for people to stay.

At the Upper Trishuli 3A facility, it took nearly six days to find the tunnels due to thick mud. Rescuers are optimistic about finding survivors in the tunnels, as they have been informed of a dry space inside. Nepal's rescue teams are utilizing every available technology, seeking assistance from India, China, Korea, and Australia.

The disaster has generated at least 2.2 million tons of debris, equivalent to six Empire State buildings, according to a preliminary UNDP estimate.