Rescue operations continue in Nepal following severe flooding that has trapped hundreds of hydropower workers in tunnel systems across the mountainous region. The disasters struck on Wednesday, as torrents of mud, water, and large boulders swept through Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, causing widespread destruction to roads, bridges, buildings, and hydropower plants.
Authorities report that approximately 933 hydropower workers remain missing, while 279 have been rescued. The search has focused particularly on the Trishuli 3A and 3B hydropower projects in Rasuwa district, where over 100 workers are believed to be trapped underground. Nepalese army teams have made breakthroughs into mud-filled tunnels, drilling openings to pump air and send cameras inside. Rescue personnel have begun sending in air and intend to widen tunnel access to allow teams to enter and reach those trapped, according to Home Minister Sudan Gurung.
Among the survivors is Ram Chandra, who recounted gripping a rung embedded in a tunnel roof as floodwaters rose around him and other workers. His group, initially six, later linked up with someone waiting at the tunnel entrance, and they managed to escape after six hours in the rising waters. Another survivor, Madan Singh Budha, escaped by running uphill after finishing a night shift in the damaged Upper Trishuli tunnel.
The flooding has affected not only Nepalese citizens but also numerous foreign workers, with many missing persons being Indian nationals employed by hydropower projects in the area. Additionally, an estimated 261 foreign nationals from 23 countries, including Nepal, India, Latvia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, remain unaccounted for in Tibetan areas near the border. Some missing individuals were pilgrims visiting Mount Kailash, an important Hindu religious site.
Nepal’s government has requested specialized assistance, particularly in tunnel rescue operations, forensic identification of remains, and DNA testing, to address the challenges posed by collapsed and waterlogged tunnels. While Nepal has stated it does not require general international rescue help, it has welcomed technical support from neighboring India and China. Chinese authorities have dispatched over 2,100 rescue workers, allocated substantial funding toward relief efforts, and supplied equipment such as heavy-lift drones and satellite data to assist operations. Coordination between Beijing and Kathmandu aims to identify missing persons and expedite relief.
Professor Arnold Dix, a Melbourne-based geologist and engineer known for his previous rescue work in the Himalayas, has been advising Nepalese authorities remotely. He highlighted the extraordinary difficulty of surviving the mud-laden torrent that destroyed infrastructure and expressed hope for the trapped workers, many of whom he knows personally.
The Nepalese Prime Minister’s office has announced plans to bring in heavier equipment and utilize blasting techniques to widen access points, aiming to accelerate rescue efforts. Soldiers and rescue teams continue to search the affected regions, working against difficult terrain and weather conditions to locate survivors and recover those lost in the disaster.