Rescue teams are working around the clock to reach hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower project tunnels following a devastating flash flood in Nepal. The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border last Wednesday, has resulted in a death toll exceeding 900, with over 4,250 people still missing.
Officials in Nepal have stated that the primary focus is on accessing several hydropower project tunnels that have been inundated and blocked by mud and rock debris. These tunnels are thought to be holding hundreds of workers. Rescue operations involve heavy machinery digging through the debris, with soldiers using lights to search for access points.
At the Upper Trishuli 3A site, rescuers have managed to break into a mud-filled tunnel, pumping air into it and using excavation equipment to clear the blockage. However, initial attempts to communicate with those potentially inside were met with no response, according to Prime Minister Balendra Shah. The Nepal Army reported on Monday that efforts to remove water, mud, and sediment from within the tunnel are ongoing.
Specialized tunnel rescue teams from India, China, and South Korea have been deployed to assist in the operations. At the Upper Trishuli-1 site, a Chinese team recovered one body after entering approximately 300 meters into a tunnel. Indian teams working at the Chilime Hydro tunnel found it blocked by mud and soil about 100 meters in, recovering two bodies during their operation.
Mountain rescue teams from Nepal, experienced in high-altitude environments, are also participating in the rescue efforts.
The flood has significantly impacted Nepal's power infrastructure. The Nepal Electricity Authority reported that 11 hydropower stations and one solar power station, with a combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts, have ceased operations, representing about 10% of the country's installed electricity generation capacity. Additionally, 15 power projects under construction, with a planned capacity of 470 megawatts, sustained damage.
Nepal's disaster management authority has confirmed 933 missing from hydropower projects in the affected region. On Monday, the national death toll stood at 903, with 4,247 missing. On the Chinese side of the border, authorities reported 16 deaths and 546 missing in Gyirong County.
Nepal Army spokesman Raja Ram Basnet described the large volumes of debris as a major challenge to clearing the tunnels, emphasizing that opening them remains the top priority. Prime Minister Shah described the flood as an "unprecedented and devastating natural disaster" and acknowledged the difficulty in assessing the full extent of the damage. He stated that nearly 21,000 security personnel, along with civilian workers and volunteers, are involved in the rescue.
China has mobilized its own rescue efforts, with President Xi Jinping pledging full support. Beijing has reported over 2,100 rescue workers deployed and allocated significant funds for relief. Chinese soldiers have been using life-detection equipment in their search for missing persons.
Rescue operations have been periodically suspended due to adverse weather and concerns over a lake formed by the disaster, which has begun to overflow.
Chinese state media suggested the flood was linked to glacier instability influenced by global warming, calling it a "new and prominent feature of cryosphere disasters" on the Tibetan plateau. However, some Nepali officials expressed concerns about insufficient information sharing regarding glacier risks and water levels from China, even after a meeting earlier this year aimed at strengthening cooperation on disaster preparedness. They highlighted the need for early warnings about glacial movements.
Recovery from the disaster is expected to cost an estimated tenth of Nepal's annual economic output. Nepali authorities have indicated that deepening cooperation with China is a priority moving forward.