Hundreds of Workers Trapped in Nepal Tunnels as Rescuers Use Explosions to Clear Path

Hundreds of workers are feared trapped inside a massive, mud-filled tunnel network along the banks of the Trishuli River in Nepal. Rescue operations involving controlled explosions in the mountains are underway to reach the personnel after more than 900 workers across 11 hydropower projects lost contact following severe floods.

According to BBC Nepali, the disaster struck during floods in the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river system. Nepalese Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet stated that rescue operations are ongoing in the Rasuwagadhi, Langtang, Chilime, Upper Trishuli 3A, and Upper Trishuli 3B areas. Rescuers are detonating explosives inside the mountains to create pathways and pumping oxygen into the tunnels at the Trishuli-3A project site, though the exact number of people trapped inside remains unconfirmed.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the flood disaster along the Nepal-Tibet border has risen to 939, with the number of missing persons revised to 3,925, including 592 foreign nationals. Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated that 279 people have been rescued from the project areas so far. An international rescue team comprising Chinese and Nepalese military personnel, alongside experts from India, South Korea, and Australia, is coordinating the efforts.

Australian engineer Arnold Dix, assisting the underground search operations remotely, noted that the catastrophic floods have drastically altered the landscape, making it difficult to locate the exact positions of the tunnels. Further downstream in Chitwan, authorities are temporarily burying nearly 300 unidentified bodies washed down from the Himalayan region after collecting DNA samples for future identification. While Tibet has reported 16 deaths from the floods, local authorities have implemented strict measures to regulate information and online content regarding the disaster.