On the morning of last Wednesday, a sudden flood devastated riverbank areas in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, Nepal. The deluge also buried tunnels of several hydropower projects in these districts, raising fears of many people being trapped inside.
Even on the sixth day since the flood, rescue operations have not been possible in some of these tunnels, highlighting the challenging conditions faced by rescue teams.
According to the Nepali Army Headquarters, a controlled blast was carried out at the Trishuli 3A project at 2 AM. Following this, two excavators were deployed to create a hole approximately 10 meters deep. The army reported that work is currently underway to clear water, mud, and sludge from inside this tunnel.
Search and rescue operations are also reportedly ongoing in another tunnel, Trishuli 3B, with a specialized team including experts deployed. A joint search and rescue team, which includes foreign personnel, entered approximately 100 meters into the Chhilime Hydro tunnel. During their search, two bodies buried in mud and soil were recovered from the inner section.
In the Upper Trishuli 1 project, the army stated that a search and rescue team entered approximately 300 meters into the tunnel to conduct operations. One body has been recovered from this particular tunnel.
The army further reported that search operations have commenced in the Langtang tunnel as well. Rescue efforts are currently underway in this tunnel, utilizing torchlights to aid in the search.
