Efforts are underway in Nepal to save over 900 hydropower workers trapped in underground tunnels at various power projects after devastating flash floods swept through the region last week. The disaster has claimed nearly 940 lives in Nepal, with additional deaths recorded in Tibet, and thousands are still missing on both sides of the border. In the Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, around 500 workers are believed to be stuck in tunnels at hydropower sites. With oxygen levels in these confined spaces dropping, experts caution that the chances of survival are dwindling. Survivors have recounted how many of their colleagues were unable to escape as the waters rose.
Rescue operations face significant challenges due to washed-out bridges, unpredictable flooding, and difficult terrain, necessitating reliance on helicopters. Neighboring countries are providing temporary bridge equipment to aid the restoration of access. The blockage of tunnels by debris complicates efforts, leading to the use of blasting operations in some areas to reach those trapped. Furthermore, the flooding has disrupted a substantial portion of the nation’s power generation.
Conditions inside the tunnels are dire, with mud reaching up to chest height and limited visibility, according to rescuers. Despite the grim situation, there is a glimmer of hope that some workers might have found refuge in safe zones within the tunnels. The disaster has not only affected tens of thousands of individuals but also razed entire communities, prompting discussions about the role of climate change in destabilizing glacial and mountainous regions. Nepal’s government has labeled the flooding as an unprecedented natural disaster, while tens of thousands of security personnel and volunteers have mobilized to assist in the response.
International aid has been substantial, with specialized rescue teams, financial aid, and technical support arriving from neighboring nations, underscoring the crisis’s magnitude. Amid the devastation, rescuers found a moment of hope, successfully pulling a young child from the mud alive. Concerns have also arisen about the sharing of glacier and water-level data between neighboring countries, with officials worried that insufficient information exchange might impair future disaster preparedness in the region.