- Rescuers rushed Monday to reach workers believed to be trapped in tunnels at hydropower sites buried in mud after catastrophic flooding in Nepal and China, as the death toll continued to rise and increasingly desperate families search for their loved ones.
- Mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal, or IPPAN, said there's an estimation of at least 500 of the 900 missing workers trapped in the tunnels, although authorities have provided varying numbers and said several foreign teams were assisting Nepali rescuers.
- Experts said the tunnels offered enough space for people to take refuge and that some workers could have access to oxygen, but others warned that the chances of finding survivors were diminishing.
- Dangi said some workers had managed to make contact and call for help when the disaster struck last Wednesday, and some others who managed to flee reported to authorities and relatives that many of their colleagues were still in the tunnels, but he said that, six days after the disaster, fears grew that some might have suffocated.
- In the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project, in the hard-hit Rasuwa district, at least 576 were missing, Dangi said, adding that around 300 of them were believed to be trapped inside the project's tunnel.
- Rescue efforts are focused on people trapped in the gigantic tunnels built for controlling the waterflow to produce hydropower. Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist at the University of Graz in Austria, said, "The tunnels are built to access hydropower infrastructure and to divert water — an essential step to generate energy. These tunnels are big enough to drive trucks through," and "There is enough place for people to take refuge safely inside and from what we understand they have managed to get oxygen to some of those stuck inside and are trying to rescue them now. It's a race for time though as people need food and water."
Rescue operations are intensifying in Nepal as authorities estimate that at least 500 of the 900 missing workers are trapped in hydropower tunnels following devastating floods. The death toll has reached 903 in Nepal alone, with 4,247 people missing, including 592 foreigners.
Mohan Kumar Dangi, president of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal, indicated that while some workers managed to contact authorities during the disaster, fears are growing that many may have suffocated. "Six days after the disaster, the chances of finding survivors are diminishing," he stated.
Rescue efforts are primarily focused on the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, where 576 workers are reported missing, with around 300 believed trapped inside the tunnel. Experts suggest that the tunnels, designed for hydropower infrastructure, may provide some refuge, as they are large enough for vehicles and could allow for oxygen access.347
However, the urgency of the situation is palpable, as Jakob Steiner, a geoscientist, noted, "It's a race for time though as people need food and water." The combined death toll from the floods in Nepal and China has surpassed 900, with more than 4,700 people missing across both countries.
“IPPAN president Mohan Kumar Dangi said at least 500 of 900 missing workers are estimated trapped, with 576 missing at the Upper Trishuli-1 project alone. Experts say tunnels are large enough for refuge and oxygen has been delivered, but fears grow of suffocation six days on.”
