400 workers trapped in mud-filled Rasuwa tunnels in Nepal

An estimated 400 workers are feared trapped inside tunnels at Hakku-216 in Rasuwa, with rescue efforts hampered by heavy mud and water, according to the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA).

The NMA said its rescue team, led by rescue in-charge Bikram Karki, was deployed to Tunnel Nos 1, 2 and 3 to assess the situation and attempt to reach the trapped workers, reports popular Nepalese English daily The Himalayan Times. 

However, the team could not proceed because conditions inside the tunnels were considered extremely dangerous and technically difficult.

According to information received from the ground, an estimated 300 to 400 workers may be trapped inside the tunnels, while some have reportedly remained unreachable for approximately three days.

The NMA has called for an immediate, specialised rescue operation involving teams equipped to work in flooded, mud-filled and confined tunnel environments.

It said high-capacity water pumps, heavy equipment to remove mud and debris, advanced search and detection equipment, technical rope and confined-space rescue gear, breathing apparatus and life-support systems are urgently required.

The association has also sought medical and emergency response teams as well as experienced mountaineering, canyoning, caving and technical rescue specialists.

NMA General Secretary Rajendra Bahadur Lama said the association's rescue team remained ready to provide technical support in coordination with government authorities, security agencies and national and international specialist rescue teams.

The NMA stressed that time was critical and called for all available resources to be mobilised immediately to reach the workers and save lives.

The Chinese team will work with Nepali Army experts to assess the tunnel and determine the feasibility of rescuing those trapped inside the flood-hit hydropower project. Photo: PMO Nepal

Chinese team joins rescue of workers trapped in Rasuwa tunnel

Nepal has brought in a six-member Chinese technical team to help rescue people trapped inside a tunnel of the flood-affected Upper Trishuli 3 'B' Hydropower Project in Rasuwa, as efforts to reach them continue amid difficult conditions. 

The Chinese experts arrived in the Trishuli area by helicopter with the approval of the Nepal government and have begun coordinating with a technical team of the Nepali Army for the high-risk and technically challenging rescue operation.

The joint team will first conduct a technical reconnaissance of the tunnel to assess the conditions inside and determine whether a rescue operation is feasible, according to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.

If the initial assessment indicates that a rescue is possible, additional Chinese experts currently kept on standby near the Rasuwa border will be brought to the site immediately.

The latest move comes after the government intensified efforts to open the tunnel entrance and search for the trapped people. An 82-member joint team comprising 62 Nepali Army personnel and 20 personnel from the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police has been working continuously since Friday night to clear mud and debris from the entrance.

The rescue operation has been hampered by adverse weather and the difficult conditions around the site.

An Indian rescue team has also reached the Trishuli area to support the operation. The team was scheduled to conduct an initial aerial reconnaissance of the Chilime and Langtang areas by helicopter and proceed with further rescue assistance based on the assessment.

The government, Nepali Army and foreign technical teams are continuing coordinated efforts to safely bring out those trapped inside the tunnel.

Nepali Army personnel rescue people trapped inside a hydropower project tunnel in Rasuwa following the Bhotekoshi flood. Photo: Courtesy

Rescue help from India, China sought as 2,400 still missing

Nepal has sought specialised assistance from India and China to strengthen search-and-rescue operations following the devastating Bhote Koshi floods, as about 2,400 people remain unaccounted for and 626 bodies have been recovered so far. 

At a press briefing in Kathmandu on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said an 11-member specialised technical reconnaissance team from India for tunnel rescue had been mobilised, while a tunnel-rescue team from China was expected to arrive soon.

The government has also requested specialised support in technologies to locate people who may still be alive in affected areas, rapid forensic and DNA analysis, and mortuary facilities for keeping recovered bodies.

More than 4,450 people, including over 187 foreign nationals, have been rescued from the affected areas, according to the ministry. Search and rescue operations are continuing in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan.

The figures could change as authorities continue search, recovery and verification operations, the ministry said, urging the public and media to rely on officially verified information.

The photo shows the Nepali Army rescuing a person trapped inside a tunnel at a hydropower project following a flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district. Photo: AFP

International assistance continues

The government also rejected reports that Nepal had turned down international assistance, saying the scale of the devastation was so extensive that international support would be required not only for rescue and relief but also for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Nepal has already received more than 57 tonnes of relief materials from India, while essential supplies were also being received from China, Japan, Australia and other countries.

The ministry said a detailed assessment of damage to critical infrastructure, houses, roads, bridges and hydropower facilities was under way. The assessment will determine Nepal's specific requirements for rehabilitation and reconstruction, it said.

Authorities are also coordinating with families, local administrations, hospitals and other agencies to identify missing people and verify information before releasing it publicly.

China has mobilised rescue teams in Tibet, where hundreds remain missing after devastating floods and mudslides struck the region. AP Photo

Govt says Nepal remains open

The ministry said river systems and downstream flood risks were being continuously monitored and authorities remained on high alert for additional flooding.

It also sought to counter concerns about the wider impact of the disaster, saying that although the floods caused massive destruction in parts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan, other parts of Nepal remain normal and open to foreign travellers and tourists.

The government said people in Nepal and abroad can contribute to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund through the designated online system.