Families Hold Onto Hope for Those Trapped in Tunnel; Government Responds to Rescue Efforts

Priya Kharel of Chabahil remains hopeful that her brother Milan Kharel is still trapped in the tunnel. After the landslide and subsequent floods on Wednesday, Milan went missing and has not been found despite search efforts, leading Priya and her family to conclude he may be trapped inside the tunnel. Milan works as an engineer at the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydroelectric Project. “People who returned from there said some individuals are still inside the tunnel. We believe that if the army had conducted rescue operations earlier, lives could have been saved,” Priya said. She also mentioned that after reaching Battar in Nuwakot, no news about her brother’s condition was received, which has further strengthened their hope that he is alive inside the tunnel. “We have checked the lists of missing, rescued, and deceased, but his name is absent,” she added.

Similar to Milan’s family, many other families of workers involved in hydroelectric projects are hopeful that their members trapped inside tunnels remain alive and can survive if rescued promptly. Meanwhile, Vasudev Khatri, a relative of Aurs Bhandari who has been missing since the day of the floods and works at the Trishuli 3 (A) Hydroelectric Project, confirmed that there is still no information regarding his whereabouts. Many individuals have been urging the government to accelerate rescue operations via social media. Not only those trapped in tunnels, but families whose homes have been partially or completely destroyed are also appealing to the government for assistance.

What is the government’s response? The flooding caused by the Bhotekoshi river has affected several projects including Upper Trishuli-1, Rasuwagadhi, Ruswa-Bhotekoshi, Upper Melung-A, Langtang Khola, Chilime, and Melung Khola. Major hydroelectric projects in Nuwakot include Trishuli Hydropower, Devighat Hydropower, Upper Trishuli 3A and 3B, Middle Trishuli Ganga, and Nuwakot Solar Power projects. The government has stated that rescue efforts for those trapped inside the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project in Rasuwa have been ongoing for two days. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, a total of 933 people are missing across these 13 projects. Authority spokesperson Shanti Mahat reported that 191 individuals were rescued on Friday and 88 on Saturday from various tunnels.

Meanwhile, to support rescue operations for those trapped at the Upper Trishuli 3A Hydroelectric Project site in Nuwakot, the army has deployed excavators and bulldozers in Battar, according to the Secretariat of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. “The equipment has been transported in parts by helicopter to the project site,” the Secretariat shared via WhatsApp. “According to the army, the tunnel entrance will soon be cleared, after which rescue and search operations will begin.” The Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ office said efforts to open the tunnel entrance have intensified since Saturday morning. “Following reports of people trapped inside the tunnel, the government has prioritized deploying rescue teams to remove debris and open the entrance,” the office stated. Since Saturday night, a 82-member joint team from the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police has been working continuously to clear the tunnel entrance and carry out rescue operations. Adverse weather has posed challenges to the rescue efforts. Alongside the three security agencies, rescue teams from India and China are also involved in operations within the hydroelectric tunnels, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.