Rescuers searching a flood-hit hydropower project in Nepal have found no survivors after reaching the far end of an underground tunnel with the help of thermal drones, leaving at least 93 workers feared trapped or missing at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project in Rasuwa district.
Search reaches tunnel endpoint
The search operation involved personnel from the Nepali Army, engineers and a specialised drone team. Flooding in the Bhote Koshi river had raised concerns that workers may have been stranded inside the tunnel, particularly at its far end.
According to the Prime Minister's Secretariat, the Army-led team successfully reached the endpoint of the tunnel at the 111-megawatt Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project. Thermal drones were then deployed to inspect the interior, including areas considered difficult or unsafe for rescuers to access directly.
However, the search found no indication of survivors inside the tunnel. Following the drone assessment, the operation was called off and the rescue team returned to Dhunche in Rasuwa district.
Hydropower sector severely affected
The disaster has severely affected Nepal's hydropower sector, with hundreds of workers believed to have been underground at several projects when devastating floods swept through the country.
Rescue teams are still trying to determine whether missing workers remain trapped in tunnels, managed to escape to safer locations or were swept away by floodwaters.
Hundreds remain missing
More than 900 people have been killed since Wednesday, while around 4,500 others remain missing. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 933 people associated with hydropower projects were missing as of Monday.
So far, rescuers have brought 279 people out of hydropower tunnels, while hundreds of others remain out of contact across multiple projects in the flood-ravaged region.
