Kathmandu: Nepali rescuers searched Wednesday for survivors feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels a week after devastating floods, but hopes were fading as teams hit dead ends and no one was confirmed alive. The government had initially believed that more than 100 workers could be alive inside multiple tunnels.
According to France24.com, the search and rescue operation is still underway, with foreign teams supporting efforts at the hydropower tunnels. Shanti Mahat, spokeswoman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, stated, “They are continuing to work despite difficulties. There is a heavy volume of mud and debris and sludge.”
Those feared trapped are among 639 hydropower workers missing since a wall of mud and debris swept down on August 26, as per NDRRMA figures. Mahat explained that finding entry points has been challenging, and even when located, the tunnels were blocked inside. However, rescue efforts continue.
Rescuers retrieved at least three bodies from two tunnels on
Monday and ventured several hundred meters into some tunnels, but their progress was halted by mud. Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha acknowledged the access issues, citing rocks and sludge as significant barriers.
Despite these challenges, a Nepal Electricity Authority official expressed optimism on Wednesday. There is believed to be a “high chance” that dozens of workers may be alive in an underground chamber at Nepal’s Rasuwagadhi hydropower plant. Amhsu Kiran Shahi, a board member of the Nepal Electricity Authority, reported that 46 people are trapped in a room-like section of the tunnel and are expected to have food and water available.
The Nepal Electricity Authority reported that 11 hydropower stations and one solar power station, with a total capacity of 431.1 megawatts, had ceased operations, representing about 10 percent of the country’s installed electricity generation capacity. Additionally, 15 power projects under construction, with a planned capacity of 470 megawatts, sustained damage.