Nepal Army Rescues Survivors from Hydropower Tunnel After Deadly Floods
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
The Nepali army has rescued survivors trapped inside a tunnel at a hydropower project in Rasuwa district. Rescue teams worked through thick mud to reach workers who had been trapped since devastating floods struck the site three days earlier. The operation comes as Nepal grapples with a death toll that has reached 475, with nearly 3,000 people still missing following a glacial collapse on the China-Nepal border.
Key Points
- Over 100 workers were trapped inside a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A and 3B hydropower projects in Rasuwa district
- Army rescue teams used drills to break through mud-swamped tunnels on Saturday, then began pumping air and sending cameras inside
- The disaster struck on Wednesday morning when a wall of mud and debris swept down the China-Nepal border, caused by a glacial collapse
- Nepal police confirmed the death toll reached 475 by Friday, with 933 hydropower workers still missing
- Specialized Indian and Chinese tunnel-rescue teams joined the effort, with Indian teams bringing experience from difficult Himalayan operations
Why It Matters
The successful extraction of survivors demonstrates a rare moment of hope amid the catastrophe, with international rescue expertise now integrated into Nepali operations . The glacial collapse that triggered this disaster ranks among the most devastating natural events in the Himalayan region in recent years, highlighting the growing risks facing infrastructure projects in climate-vulnerable zones.
The successful extraction of survivors demonstrates a rare moment of hope amid the catastrophe, with international rescue expertise now integrated into Nepali operations . The glacial collapse that triggered this disaster ranks among the most devastating natural events in the Himalayan region in recent years, highlighting the growing risks facing infrastructure projects in climate-vulnerable zones.