Bhote Koshi-Trishuli Floods: Search Continues from Timure to India, Inside Tunnels and Homes
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock
On the 13th day following the floods in the Bhote Koshi and lower Trishuli rivers, approximately 5,000 people remain missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority as of Monday.
Security agencies report ongoing search efforts stretching from Rasuwagadhi on the border with China to Nawalparasi West bordering India.
The river known as Bhote Koshi in Rasuwa becomes the Trishuli upon reaching Nuwakot, and downstream in the lower Chitwan region near Devghat, it is called the Narayani before entering India, where it is known as the Gandak River.
As of Monday morning, the bodies or remains of at least 1,355 individuals had been recovered, the government body coordinating search, rescue, and relief efforts confirmed. Recoveries continue.
The Nepal Army is focused on searching and rescuing inside tunnels and underground powerhouses of various hydropower projects and via aerial routes. The Armed Police Force is conducting ground searches along riverbanks from Timure in Rasuwa to the Gandak canal in Nawalparasi West (Bardaghat Susta West).
Efforts to Deploy People and Equipment Inside Tunnels
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Military spokesperson Rajaram Basnet informed that on Monday, the 13th day of search operations, they will attempt to reach the powerhouse of the Chilime hydropower project.
According to him, the tunnel leading inside the underground powerhouse has only been accessible for about 100 meters so far.
“Beyond 100 meters the tunnel is completely blocked. Mini excavators are working to clear the path. Because the forward section was completely swept away by the flood, helicopters cannot land or deliver supplies there. We are currently trying to create a path by blasting to bring more excavators,” said spokesperson Basnet.
Image source, Nepali Army
The Nepali Army reported that although rescue teams reached the underground powerhouse of the Rasuwagadhi hydropower project near the Chinese border, no bodies were found.
“The sixth floor of Rasuwagadhi has been completely searched—it was discovered to be an operational control room. Nothing was found there. On the fifth floor, the space was entirely filled with mud and debris,” explained Basnet.
At Langtang, when the penstock pipe was cut to reach inside, only two bodies were found, after which search and rescue resources were redirected to other locations, officials stated.
The army is attempting to access areas of Upper Trishuli 1 where multiple tunnels exist and searches had not yet reached. Previously, a joint Nepali and Korean expert team rescued a Chinese worker alive from the upper part of a dam under construction on the 11th day of flooding, in an area where two bodies were also recovered.
Further downstream, the army and armed police formed a joint team conducting search and rescue operations at Upper Trishuli 3A and 3B hydropower projects. Two employees were rescued alive on the 10th day of flooding in the underground powerhouse area of Trishuli 3A.
Assistant Captain Suvasjang Thapa of the Nepali Army stated that infrared drones are being used to assist searching in inaccessible areas.
During a press conference held by the Disaster Management Authority on Monday, he conveyed that hope remains that survivors may yet be found in tunnel structures.
“Our hope is not lost yet. We continue to hold onto the expectation that we might find survivors in the future,” he said.
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‘Did You Hear Our Voice?’
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Armed Police Force spokesperson Netra Bahadur Karki stated that 4,000 personnel from his organization have been deployed from Timure to Nawalparasi West.
The Armed Police are conducting searches inside flood-buried and collapsed homes and structures.
Officers shared a video on social media showing them using loudspeakers to call out from damaged homes, saying, ‘We are the rescuers; if you can hear our voice, please respond.’
“Our teams are focused on rubble and debris with the belief that life may still be found inside the buried and collapsed structures,” said spokesperson Karki.
On the 11th day after the previous flood, the Armed Police team had rescued a woman alive from a house buried in Betrawati, Nuwakot.
The Armed Police search and rescue teams are accompanied by body recovery units.
In Nawalparasi West, 206 bodies have been recovered so far. Chief District Officer Deepak Raj Nepal confirmed that bodies swept into India have also been requested for search assistance from Indian authorities.
“We have requested their help to conduct searches and send back any bodies that are found. They are also cooperating in the efforts,” he added.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Madan Thapa, 19 bodies found on the Indian side have so far been handed over to Nepal.
Current Status of Roads, Electricity, and Communications
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After the flood, many areas of Rasuwa were cut off from roads, electricity, and communication networks. As of now, 84 percent of Rasuwa’s territory has electricity, according to Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruba Prasad Adhikari.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that electricity supply has been restored to over 96 percent of households in Nuwakot and more than 99 percent in Dhading.
Mobile networks have been reestablished throughout the district.
However, officials note that some wards in Gosainkunda Rural Municipality and Amachodingmo in Rasuwa still lack electricity.
Presently, it is reported that the 12 Turn area, located a bit ahead of the Rasuwa headquarters Dhunche, is connected to the capital.
According to Army spokesperson Basnet, the bell bridge under construction in Nuwakot is expected to shorten and facilitate the route for delivering relief materials, rescue teams, equipment, and other infrastructure to Rasuwa.
“We aim to set it up and make it operational within 3-4 days,” Basnet stated.
The army said the bridge, made of prefabricated iron materials placed over the river, will support loads up to 50 tons.
How Relief is Being Distributed
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Currently, displaced flood victims are housed in 39 holding centers.
Among them, approximately 700 are in Rasuwa, over 2,500 in Nuwakot, and more than 200 in Dhading.
Authorities report that relief supplies are being delivered via helicopter to areas without road access and by land transport to accessible locations.
Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruba Prasad Adhikari of Rasuwa said relief distribution is being coordinated in cooperation with local governments.
“We are coordinating so that local governments take responsibility for relief distribution,” the official explained.
“In Rasuwa, ward chairpersons and deputy mayors themselves have been affected by the floods. In places lacking local representatives, the local residents are coordinating relief efforts.”
