RismadarVoice Reporters, August 31, 2026
Rescue teams in Nepal have intensified efforts to locate hundreds of workers feared trapped inside hydropower tunnels following catastrophic floods that devastated parts of Nepal and China’s Tibet region.
Authorities said more than 900 hydropower workers remain missing after last week’s flooding, with emergency teams drilling access points, pumping air into tunnels and deploying specialised personnel in a desperate search for possible survivors.
Nepal’s authorities described the tunnel rescue operation as a top priority as teams work in dangerous conditions caused by massive landslides, mud and unstable terrain. At the Upper Trishuli-3A hydropower project, rescuers drilled a hole into the tunnel structure and entered using ropes while carrying oxygen supplies, medical equipment and communication devices.
Officials said rescue workers reached sections of the tunnel but had not established contact with those believed to be trapped inside.
The disaster, triggered by a glacier collapse and subsequent flooding in the Himalayan region, has caused widespread destruction, destroying homes, roads, bridges and several hydropower facilities. Nepal’s disaster authorities reported that hundreds of people have died, thousands remain missing, and thousands more have been rescued.
The scale of the flooding has overwhelmed rescue operations, with emergency workers facing difficult weather conditions, damaged infrastructure and the risk of further landslides. China has also identified several high-risk geological areas around the affected border region as authorities continue monitoring possible collapses and additional flooding threats.
Foreign rescue teams from neighbouring countries have joined the operation, providing technical support and equipment to assist Nepalese authorities in searching affected areas.
Families of missing workers have gathered at emergency centres awaiting information about their relatives, while survivors in affected communities struggle to recover from the destruction left behind by the floods.
Officials said recovery efforts will continue as rescue teams remain focused on locating missing persons and providing assistance to communities affected by one of the region’s worst recent natural disasters.
