Rescue Efforts Intensify at Hydropower Tunnels
An official from Nepal's electricity authority has indicated that there is a strong possibility that dozens of workers trapped in an underground chamber at the Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant may still be alive, a week after devastating flash floods. Amhsu Kiran Shahi, a board member, told Reuters on Wednesday that around 46 individuals are believed to be stuck in a room-like area within the tunnel, and he is optimistic they have survived because they have access to food and water.[S1]
Nepali authorities have so far rescued 279 people from hydropower projects that were inundated by a massive flow of ice, rock, mud, and debris, following a glacial collapse near the Tibet border. At least 639 others remain unaccounted for, with some possibly trapped in tunnels. Rescue teams from Nepal, India, and China are working to reach survivors, focusing on four hydropower sites.[S1]
Challenges and Hope in Tunnel Rescues
The Rasuwagadhi project, a 111-megawatt facility in Rasuwa district, about 5km from the border, is one site where rescuers are trying to access. Shahi noted it is the only project where walking through the tunnel is possible, and the army attempted that three days ago but did not find the room. They are going in again. At the Upper Trishuli 3A facility, it took almost six days to locate tunnels due to thick mud, but dry space inside gives hope.[S1]
Rescuers are using every available technology in Nepal and receiving help from Indian, Chinese, Korean, and Australian experts. The disaster created at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris, according to a preliminary UN Development Programme estimate, equivalent to six Empire State Buildings. While the chance of finding survivors elsewhere is fading, operations continue along the border with China.[S1]
