Nepal Floods: 933 Hydropower Workers Missing as Rescuers Race to Reach Trapped People

Rescue teams in Nepal are racing to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels after devastating floods near the Nepal-Tibet border killed at least 903 people and left 4,247 missing.

The disaster struck last week after a massive surge of ice, rock, mud and debris swept through the Himalayan region following what officials have described as a glacier collapse. The flooding destroyed roads, bridges, homes and infrastructure across affected areas and also caused extensive damage to hydropower projects.

Nepal’s disaster management authorities said 933 people were missing from hydropower projects in the flood-hit region. Rescue teams are focusing on about half a dozen tunnels that have been blocked by large amounts of mud and rock debris.

Opening the tunnels remains the main priority, as heavy debris has made access extremely difficult. Rescue workers have been using earth-moving equipment and working through the night in an effort to clear the entrances and search for survivors.

Nearly 21,000 security personnel, along with civilian workers and volunteers, have been involved in rescue operations, according to Prime Minister Balendra Shah. Chinese and Indian specialists are also assisting Nepal with their expertise in tunnel rescue operations.

The disaster has also affected neighbouring Tibet, where Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 people missing in Gyirong County. China has deployed more than 2,100 rescuers and allocated about $33 million for relief efforts.

Rescue operations have repeatedly been disrupted by bad weather, difficult terrain and fears of further flooding and landslides. Authorities are monitoring several unstable areas, including lakes and reservoirs formed by landslides and the glacier collapse.

The Red Cross estimates that more than 90,000 people have been affected by the disaster. As rescue workers continue clearing debris and searching damaged tunnels, authorities face the difficult task of identifying victims and determining the full scale of the destruction.